Putin has ‘repeatedly underestimated’ support for Ukraine, says UK foreign secretary

UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper on Wednesday said that Russian President Vladimir Putin has "repeatedly underestimated" both Ukraine's resilience and the commitment of its allies, as she addressed reporters alongside her German counterpart Johann Wadephul in Berlin.

Speaking to reporters alongside German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul in Berlin, Cooper said Russia has "failed in its military objectives" in Ukraine and was now seeking to "continually" escalate.

She insisted the UK would not be deterred from backing Kyiv.

"We will continue to stand with Ukraine because Ukraine has shown incredible strength and resilience in the face of Russian aggression," she said. "And I think Putin has repeatedly underestimated Ukraine and underestimated the commitment and determination of Ukraine's friends."

Her remarks followed questions about the Russian intelligence ship Yantar, which was recently detected near British waters.

Cooper described the incident as a "deeply dangerous" action, highlighting that RAF aircraft monitoring the vessel had lasers shone at them.

"It's the second time this year that this ship has deployed to UK waters," she said. "We have been clear to Putin we see this activity, we know what he is doing."

Security cooperation dominated discussions between Cooper and Wadephul.

Berlin confirmed it will change its laws by the end of the year to enable joint UK-German operations targeting criminal gangs involved in small boat crossings.

Cooper said the move would allow police to "pursue the criminal gangs who have been storing small boats in warehouses across Germany … in order to make a vile profit from trading in human lives."

Wadephul called the UK "a cornerstone of the European security architecture" and said both countries were determined to deepen defense collaboration.

On Ukraine, he said: "We stand shoulder to shoulder with the brave Ukrainians," adding that the war could end "tomorrow" if Russia showed willingness to make peace.