Ukraine and Russia

Viscount Stansgate Excerpts

Tuesday 15th September 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Coaker (Lab)]

In my response to the noble Earl, Lord Minto, I think I said that, for 21 days in July, ships were escorted by the Royal Navy. We see our ships deployed not only in the channel but elsewhere. We had the carrier in the north Atlantic to ensure that shipping was protected. We have relationships, alliances and agreements with countries across the whole of Europe and beyond. In that way, we ensure that we protect, as much as we can, the merchant shipping upon which we all depend and that we do something about sanctioning the Russian fleet. If the noble Lord’s question is about building more ships, we are.

[Viscount Stansgate (Lab)]

I welcome the Statement, which says:

“Russia is constantly probing us and testing us”.


In terms of the narrative of what is happening, is it perhaps time to use less of the euphemistic language of “malign actors”, especially with regard to the very large number of cyber attacks to which my noble friend has already referred? Let us take the recent case of an abortive drone attack on a German airfield, which, thank heavens, did not work. The German Government, as I understand it, have reached the view that they now have the evidence to openly blame the state of Russia for that attack. Is that an approach that we should take as and when the Government have evidence to that effect?

[Lord Coaker (Lab)]

If you have evidence that something has happened, it is quite right to talk about, for example, drone attacks such as the one in Leipzig to which my noble friend refers. Sometimes, when I am asked questions, I want to go further than I do; I want to use language that is stronger and more powerful. However, I also recognise that, when you are a Government Minister, particularly at a sensitive time, particularly in a difficult situation such as this—this is true in the other place, and it would be true under whatever Government—you have to be extraordinarily careful about the language you use, in case you generate unintended consequences. I feel a real responsibility for that because I am not the person flying the jet, I am not the person on the ship, I am not the person undertaking various activities. My noble friend is absolutely right that, where we have the evidence, we have to say what has happened and explain the threat to the British people, while at the same time being extraordinarily careful with the language that we use in case, as I said, we generate unintended consequences.