New photo Gavin Williamson sends ship to Black Sea to help Ukraine stand up to Russia

Gavin Williamson today pledged Britain will stand with Ukraine against Russian aggression after a Royal Navy ship was sent to beef up defence in the Black Sea.

The Defence Secretary said he had dispatched HMS Echo to the region to show Britain's 'solidarity' with Kiev.

But in a sign tensions are rising in the region, Vladimir Putin hit back by sending a Russian warship towards the Azov Sea, just north of the Black Sea.

The frigate was spotted 1.5 nautical miles off the Crimean coast in the area of the town of Feodosia, with a helicopter was visible onboard. 

Speaking on a visit to Odessa in South Ukraine today, Mr Wiliamson said: 'The reason...that HMS Echo is here is that we firstly want to demonstrate the solidarity that we have with Ukraine and the fact that Ukraine doesn't stand alone.

'But we also demonstrate our right to be able to come to ports such as Odessa, for freedom of navigation, for freedom for navies to be able to operate in the Black Sea. This isn't Russia's sea, this is an international sea.'

The visit comes amid rising tensions in the region and growing fears the simmering conflict between Russia and Ukraine could explode into all out war. 

Gavin Williamson (pictured on board a Ukrainian frigate today) today said Britain sent a Royal Navy ship to the Black Sea help Ukraine stand up to Putin's Russia

The Defence Secretary (pictured today disembarking from a Ukrainian Navy frigate) said the waters of the Black Sea do not belong to Moscow

Gavin Williamson (pictured meeting with his Ukrainian counterparts today in Odessa) is visiting the country amid rising tensions with Moscow

Putin sent troops into Ukraine in 2014, annexing Crimea and sparking a civil war which still rages in the east of the country.

And tensions escalated last month when Russia fired on and seized three Ukrainian naval vessels off the Crimean Peninsula. 

The stand-off sparked fears of an all-out war between the two countries and  led Ukraine to declare martial law.

HMS Echo, a Navy warship equipped with cutting edge spy technology, docked in Odessa two days ago.

It is expected to carry out drills  in the Black Sea as a show of strength against Russia.

Mr Williamson announced last month that they would  'strengthen their defence partnership in the face of intensifying threats and aggression' when his Ukrainian counterpart Stepan Poltorak visited the UK.

Speaking at the time, Mr Williamson said: As long as Ukraine faces Russian hostilities, it will find a steadfast partner in the United Kingdom. 

'By continuing to work together, whether through training programmes or military exercises, we help Ukraine to stand up for our shared values. 

'Those values of freedom and democracy cannot be traded. I have witnessed on the frontline the effects of the conflict in the East and this has completely reinforced my support for Ukraine's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.'

HMS Echo, a Navy warship equipped with cutting edge spy technology, docked in Odessa two days ago (pictured)

Mr Poltorak said: 'The United Kingdom is a valued partner that has supported Ukraine's Armed Forces for the last four years in the face of Russian aggression. 

'As we fight to defend our territory, the offer of extended support from the UK Armed Forces is vitally important and gratefully received.'

Mr Williamson also announced that HMS Echo would deploy to the Black Sea in 2019 to demonstrate the UK's support to ensuring freedom of navigation in the region.

And in January and February next year, training teams – made up of personnel from the Royal Navy, Royal Marines and the Army – will deploy to Ukraine as part of the extension to the UK's military training operation. 

UK 'won't pull out troops like Trump' 

By JEMMA BUCKLEY AND DANIEL BATES 

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said there were no plans to increase British troop numbers in Afghanistan, after Donald Trump’s shock announcement that the US was pulling out.

And Mr Williamson promised the UK would not let fleeing Islamic State fighters off the hook in Syria, telling reporters: ‘We’ve deprived IS of its territorial and ground base but as an ideology and as an organisation it’s become more dispersed. We recognise we’ve got to continue to keep a foot on the throat of IS.

‘They are a threat to Britain and it is far safer to strike at that threat at places such as Iraq and Syria.’

His comments came after Mr Trump announced he is halving the number of troops in Afghanistan just days after pulling all of his soldiers out of Syria.

It is understood Britain was left in the dark by the order to withdraw half of the 14,000 US troops from Aghanistan, a decision one senator said could lead to a ‘second 9/11’.

There are now fears that the Taliban will retake control.

 

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News Pictures Gavin Williamson sends ship to Black Sea to help Ukraine stand up to Russia

You don’t have to pack away your bikini just because you’re the wrong side of 20. These body-beautiful stars reveal their secrets to staying in shape and prove you can smoulder in a two-piece, whatever your age. Read on and be bikini inspired!

TEENS
Hayden Panettiere
Size: 8
Age: 18
Height: 5ft 1in
Weight: 8st

To achieve her kick-ass figure, Hayden – who plays cheerleader Claire Bennet in Heroes – follows the ‘quartering’ rule. She eats only a quarter of the food on her plate, then waits 20 minutes before deciding whether she needs to eat again.

Hayden says: “I don’t have a model’s body, but I’m not one of those crazy girls who thinks that they’re fat. I’m OK with what I have.”

Nicollette says: “I don’t like diets – I see it, I eat it! I believe in eating healthily with lots of protein, vegetables and carbs to give you energy.”

kim cattrall

Size: 10-12
Age: 52
Height: 5ft 8in
Weight: 9st 4lb

SATC star Kim swears by gym sessions with Russian kettle bells (traditional cast-iron weights) and the South Beach Diet to give her the body she wants. To avoid overeating, Kim has a radical diet trick – squirting lemon juice on her leftovers – so she won’t carry on picking.

Kim says: “I am no super-thin Hollywood actress. I am built for men who like women to look like women.”
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