The Green Party would seek to move the UK out of Nato in the long-term once the conflict in Ukraine is over, its co-leader has said.
Adrian Ramsay told Sky News he did not want to “change structures in the middle of a conflict”, but believes the UK should leave the military alliance in the future.
Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsay co-Leaders of the Green Party.
Ian West
Asked on Sky News whether the Greens’ position on Nato has changed as a result of the Ukraine conflict, Mr Ramsay confirmed it has not.
He said: “We have a long-term policy about reviewing what structures we need to have to build peace in the world and we have to remember this conflict has happened at a time when we are part of Nato, when we are still seeing nuclear weapons dominate.
“Of course we are not about changing structures in the middle of conflict and what we need to do at the moment is focus on how Ukraine can be supported in a wide variety of ways.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks during a press conference following a special meeting of Nato leaders in Brussels.
Henry Nicholls
Mr Ramsay suggested the UK needs to focus on “peacekeeping and getting the parties to the table” as well as “stronger economic action”.
He added: “Across Europe we are still sending a billion euros a day to Vladimir Putin’s war machine from buying Russian oil, gas and coal and we need to wean ourselves off this addiction, which of course the Greens want us to do.
“If we want to avoid funding that war machine and really put strong economic pressure on Russia, that has really got to be stepped up.”
Asked to confirm again that the Greens want the UK to leave Nato, he added: “Yes, that is our long-term policy that we would like to see far greater focus on peacekeeping institutions and institutions that support a reduction in our nuclear weapons and countries moving away from nuclear weapons.
“But in the short-term, of course we are not proposing moving out of Nato in the middle of a conflict.”
Mr Ramsay leads the Green Party with fellow co-leader Carla Denyer.