Mordaunt Vows to Spearhead Western Response to Russia Over Military Operation in Ukraine

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The UK's Minister of State for Trade Policy Penny Mordaunt, one of the favorites to become the country's new prime minister after the embattled Boris Johnson stepped down last week, vowed to lead the West in further pressuring Russia in response to the military operation in Ukraine.

"As prime minister, I will step up to lead the West's response to this brutal aggression and make sure that our Ukrainian friends will ultimately achieve their freedom," Mordaunt said in an article published in The Telegraph on Saturday.

The minister stressed that she would continue supporting Ukraine, dubbing these efforts "one of Boris Johnson's greatest legacies." Mordaunt also noted that she would "redouble" cooperation with the United States and the European Union to provide coordinated military assistance to Kiev.

The candidate made other vows related to Ukraine, such as ramping up the training of Ukraine's soldiers, forming a taskforce for demining the waters of the Black Sea, as well as enhancing information operations to "improve Ukraine's domestic resilience."

Penny Mordaunt speaks ahead of Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt launching his leadership campaign for the Conservative Party in London, June 10, 2019

© AP Photo / Matt Dunham / Penny Mordaunt speaks ahead of Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt launching his leadership campaign for the Conservative Party in London, June 10, 2019

Mordaunt claimed that the UK "did not seek a confrontation with Russia" and pointed the finger at Moscow, blaming it for the ongoing crisis.

Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine on February 24, after the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics appealed for help in defending themselves against Ukrainian forces. In response to Russia's operation, Western countries have rolled out a comprehensive sanctions campaign against Moscow and have been supplying weapons to Ukraine.