A high-ranking Russian official has launched a blistering verbal assault on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, labelling him 'illiterate' and 'a fool' following his commitment to a security pact concerning Ukraine.
Fiery Russian Retort to UK Security Pledge
The remarks came from Dmitry Rogozin, a prominent senator and former head of Russia's space agency, who warned that the British leader's suggestion could make the UK a target for Russian missile strikes. Rogozin's comments were a direct response to Starmer's actions in Paris on Tuesday, where he joined French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in signing a declaration of intent outlining potential future troop deployments to Ukraine as part of a peace deal framework.
Rogozin invoked historical precedent, stating, 'Even after Russia's defeat in the Crimean War of 1853-1856, such thoughts never occurred to England, France, or the Turks and Sardinians.' He added with characteristic vitriol, 'Of course, Starmer is illiterate and a fool in the grand scheme of things, but he should still understand what we will do... if they actually try to implement this nonsense.'
Starmer's Parliamentary Assurance and Wider Context
Facing scrutiny at home, Prime Minister Starmer addressed the UK Parliament on Wednesday to provide clarification. He assured MPs that any deployment of British forces under the Paris declaration would be subject to a full parliamentary vote. 'I will keep the house updated as the situation develops, and were troops to be deployed under the declaration signed, I would put that matter to the house for a vote,' Starmer stated. He also noted that troop numbers would be defined by UK military plans currently being drafted.
Starmer further revealed he had discussed security guarantees for Ukraine twice over Christmas with US President Donald Trump, emphasising there was 'no question of acting on this without full discussion with the Americans'.
Putin's 'Divine Mandate' and Ongoing Hostilities
The diplomatic spat unfolds against a backdrop of continued violence in Ukraine. On January 7, as the Russian Orthodox Church celebrated Christmas, President Vladimir Putin made an extraordinary claim, framing the war as a sacred mission. 'The soldiers of Russia, always, as if on the Lord's orders, fulfil this very mission - the defence of the Fatherland,' he declared during a midnight service, seeking to legitimise the military campaign.
This rhetoric accompanied fresh attacks. Overnight strikes on the city of Dnipro left seven people injured, including two girls aged eight and sixteen, after residential buildings, schools, and kindergartens were hit. Further attacks were reported in the Zaporizhzhia region, wounding more children. The sustained assault on Ukrainian infrastructure also caused power shortages, disconnecting hospitals in Lviv from electricity.
In a significant counter-strike, Ukrainian forces reportedly struck an oil plant in Russia's Belgorod border region. The governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, confirmed a fire at the site in Stary Oskol, stating several tanks had caught fire following a detonation.
Rogozin's incendiary language and Putin's assertion of a divine mandate signal a hardening of the Kremlin's position, suggesting little immediate appetite for peace initiatives and setting the stage for further geopolitical tension with the UK and its allies.
