Ukraine is on an “irreversible pathway” to membership of Nato once its war with Russia is over, David Lammy has said.

The foreign secretary’s comments come amid heightened tensions as the conflict approaches its third anniversary.

Just last week, Vladimir Putin threatened to bomb the UK after Ukraine was given permission to use British long-range missiles to attack targets in Russia.

The Russian president has also lowered the threshold at which his country’s military is able to use nuclear weapons.

One of the reasons given by Putin for launching his invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 was the eastward expansion of Nato.

But in an interview with Italian newspaper La Repubblica, Lammy said there was no question of Ukraine not gaining membership of the western nuclear alliance once the war is over.

He said: “I thought it was very important that, back in July, Nato was very clear that there would be a pathway to Nato for Ukraine. I think we all understand that this war will be over, not entirely as a result of military endeavours on the ground, but as a result of a political settlement.

“As part of that political settlement, it’s hugely important that Ukraine has the security guarantees that are needed, and that Russian aggression is repelled.

“We here in Europe are really clear that we cannot tolerate a situation in which the war ends and Russia comes back again in a matter of time. When we think about this conflict, it’s always important to be aware that this did not begin in February 2022. This, in fact, began way back in 2014, and so that pathway to Nato and those security guarantees will be fundamental if we are to keep the peace in Europe that all European colleagues want to see.”

Asked directly if he believes Ukraine should still join Nato, Lammy said: “We were in agreement back in July that there should be an irreversible pathway to Nato membership, all Nato allies were able to agree that.

“That’s the stated position in the UK. We’re very pleased to be one of the most active Nato members supporting that desire on behalf of Ukraine.”

The foreign secretary’s remarks could potentially put the UK at odds with the incoming Donald Trump administration in America, given the president-elect’s well-known scepticism about Nato.

But elsewhere in his interview, Lammy said he believed Trump is aware of the need for the West to be united against Russia.

He said: “I was very pleased to have dinner with Donald Trump back in September, I found him to be a very gracious host.

“I have to say, I found him, in discussion with our prime minister Starmer, to be very aware of the threat that Russia poses to European security, and the consequences of that for growing expenditure on behalf of US taxpayers, were Russia to succeed.”