Shortly after Keir Starmer was elected as the leader of Britain's main opposition Labour Party in April 2020, he made John Healey his shadow defence secretary. Before that, Healey was the shadow secretary of state for housing under left-wing leader Jeremy Corbyn.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (ARCHIVE - MARCH 22, 2021) (PARLIAMENT TV - News and current affairs use only, cannot be used for light entertainment or satirical purposes, party political broadcast usage must be cleared with PBU)

1. THEN BRITAIN'S SHADOW SECRETARY OF STATE, JOHN HEALEY, STANDING UP

2. HEALEY SPEAKING

BARROW-IN-FURNESS, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (ARCHIVE - APRIL 12, 2024) (UK POOL - No use UK, except UK newspapers)

3. VARIOUS OF BRITAIN'S THEN-LEADER OF OPPOSITION LABOUR PARTY, KEIR STARMER AND HEALEY TALKING

Healey was among Britain's new Labour cabinet that met on July 6, 2024, a day after the party surged to a landslide victory in the country's parliamentary election, ending 14 years of often tumultuous Conservative government and propelling Keir Starmer to power as prime minister.

LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (ARCHIVE - JULY 6, 2024) (UK POOL - No use UK, except UK newspapers)

4. VARIOUS OF SECRETARY OF STATE FOR DEFENCE, JOHN HEALEY, ARRIVING

5. STARMER SPEAKING AT FIRST MEETING OF LABOUR CABINET IN 10 DOWNING STREET / CABINET MEMBERS, INCLUDING HEALEY, APPLAUDING

On his second day on the job, as Britain's new defence secretary, John Healey pledged continued support to Ukraine during a visit to Odesa where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

ODESA, UKRAINE (ARCHIVE - JULY 7, 2024) (UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL HANDOUT - Access all)

6. VARIOUS OF MEETING BETWEEN HEALEY AND UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKIY

7. INJURED SERVICEMAN TAKING SELFIE WITH ZELENSKIY AND HEALEY / HEALEY SAYING: "You inspire the Ukrainians, your own people, but you also inspire nations like the United Kingdom."

8. ZELENSKIY AND HEALEY POSING FOR PHOTO WITH INJURED SERVICEMAN / ZELENSKIY LEAVING AND HEALEY SHAKING HANDS WITH SERVICEMAN

As part of his first international tour, Healey visited Warsaw, and reaffirmed Britain's support for Poland, Ukraine, and NATO's Eastern Flank.

WARSAW, POLAND (ARCHIVE - JULY 24, 2024) (REUTERS - Access all)

9. VARIOUS OF HEALEY AND THEN POLISH DEFENCE MINISTER WLADYSLAW KOSINIAK-KAMYSZ WATCHING MARCHING SOLDIERS

Healey welcomed defence ministers of the AUKUS treaty to London on September 26, 2024, in a first ever UK-hosted meeting of the partnership. AUKUS, formed in 2021 to address shared worries about China's growing power, is designed to allow Australia to acquire nuclear-powered attack submarines and other advanced weapons such as hypersonic missiles.

LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (ARCHIVE - SEPTEMBER 26, 2024) (UK POOL - No use UK, except UK newspapers)

10. HEALEY, THEN U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE LLOYD AUSTIN AND AUSTRALIAN DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AND MINISTER OF DEFENCE RICHARD MARLES WALKING

AKROTIRI, CYPRUS (ARCHIVE - OCTOBER 2, 2024) (UK POOL - No use UK, except UK newspapers)

11. HEALEY ARRIVING AT RAF AKROTIRI BASE IN CYPRUS

12. VARIOUS OF HEALEY GREETING AND SPEAKING WITH ARMY PERSONNEL

In October 2024, Healey joined NATO defence ministers for two-day talks that centred on the military support package for Ukraine.

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (ARCHIVE - OCTOBER 18, 2024) (REUTERS – Access all)

13. DEFENCE MINISTERS ON PODIUM

14. HEALEY GREETING ITALIAN DEFENCE MINISTER GUIDO CROSETTO

15. DEFENCE MINISTERS AND NATO CHIEF ON PODIUM

16. NATO SECRETARY GENERAL MARK RUTTE AND HEALEY TALKING

In February 2025, Healey met with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at NATO headquarters, before NATO defence ministers gathered for a Ramstein-format meeting, where the U.K. took over the U.S.'s role in chairing the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, the grouping of some 50 nations, formed after Russia launched the full-scale invasion in 2022.

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (ARCHIVE - FEBRUARY 12, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

17. U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PETE HEGSETH SHAKING HANDS WITH HEALEY

18. HEGSETH AND HEALEY POSING FOR PICTURES

19. HEGSETH AND HEALEY WALKING AWAY

Healey met his Norwegian counterpart Tore Sandvik near the country's border with Russia in Kirkenes on February 19, 2025. Healey's visit came a day after Russia and the United States held their first talks on how to end the war in Ukraine. Ukraine and European governments were not invited in the Saudi capital, which magnified their concern that Russia and the United States might cut a deal that ignores their vital security interests.

IN AIR (ARCHIVE - FEBRUARY 19, 2025) (INTERNATIONAL POOL – Access all)

20. VARIOUS OF HEALEY TALKING WITH ARMY OFFICIAL ABOARD MILITARY PLANE

21. VARIOUS OF HEALEY TALKING WITH MILITARY PILOTS IN COCKPIT

KIRKENES, NORWAY (ARCHIVE - FEBRUARY 19, 2025) (INTERNATIONAL POOL – Access all)

22. HEALEY GREETING NORWEGIAN SOLDIERS

23. VARIOUS OF HEALEY TALKING WITH NORWEGIAN SOLDIERS IN MILITARY FACILITY

AT SEA (ARCHIVE - APRIL 24, 2025) (UK POOL - No use UK, except UK newspapers)

24. VARIOUS OF STARMER, HEALEY AND MARINES ON RUNWAY OF HMS PRINCE OF WALES

25. VARIOUS OF STARMER AND HEALEY WATCHING F35B FIGHTER JET HOVERING OVER RUNWAY AND TAKING OFF

Healey said on November 19, 2025, that "military options" were ready should the Russian spy ship Yantar become a threat, after the vessel directed lasers at British pilots sent to monitor it.

Britain's Royal Navy and Royal Air Force (RAF) routinely shadow potential threats to national security, and such missions to monitor Russian vessels and submarines have become more frequent since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Healey said directing lasers at RAF pilots was "deeply dangerous" and Britain was poised to react depending on the Yantar's next move. The Yantar, designed for intelligence gathering and mapping underseas cables, was on the edge of British waters, north of Scotland, he said.

LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (ARCHIVE - NOVEMBER 19, 2025) (UK POOL - No use UK, except UK newspapers)

26. HEALEY WALKING TO PODIUM FOR NEWS CONFERENCE

27. HEALEY SPEAKING

28. (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITISH DEFENCE MINISTER JOHN HEALEY SAYING:

"So my message to Russia and to Putin is this: we see you, we know what you're doing. And if the Yantar travels south this week, we are ready."

Britain announced on December 8, 2025, it plans to integrate autonomous vessels and artificial intelligence with warships and aircraft to enhance its naval defence and submarine-hunting capabilities, aiming to protect undersea cables and pipelines from potential Russian threats.The announcement came four days after Healey and his Norwegian counterpart, Tore O. Sandvik, visited the Maritime Capability Coalition in Portsmouth to advance efforts to strengthen Ukraine's naval operations.

PORTSMOUTH, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (ARCHIVE - DECEMBER 4, 2025) (UK POOL - No use UK, except UK newspapers)

29. BRITISH NAVY SERVICEMEN SALUTING WHILE HEALEY, AND NORWEGIAN DEFENCE MINISTER, TORE SANDVIK, WALK ON BOARD SHIP

30. DRONE ONBOARD SHIP, HEALEY AND SANDVIK LISTENING TO MAN

31. HEALEY AND SANDVIK TALKING TO SERVICEMEN

32. PERSONNEL MONITORING SCREENS

33. HEALEY WATCHING SCREENS

Britain said it was allocating 200 million pounds ($270 million) to fund preparations for the possible deployment of troops to Ukraine, after pledging its soldiers to a multinational force for the country in the event of a ceasefire. Visiting the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on January 9, Healey said the money would be spent on upgrading vehicles and communication systems and counter-drone protection, as well as ensuring troops are ready to deploy.

KYIV, UKRAINE (ARCHIVE - JANUARY 9, 2026) (UK POOL - No use UK, except UK newspapers)

34. HEALEY, ARRIVING TO STRIKE SITE

35. BUILDING DAMAGED BY RUSSIAN STRIKE / HEALEY SPEAKING WITH UKRAINIAN OFFICIALS WHILE LOOKING AT DAMAGE / DAMAGED BUILDING

36. VARIOUS OF HEALEY AND UKRAINIAN OFFICIALS SPEAKING IN FRONT OF DAMAGED BUILDING

Healey was among British ministers arriving to Downing Street on February 10, 2026, for a cabinet meeting as Starmer refused to heed calls to quit, pledging to fight on after his appointment of Peter Mandelson as U.S. ambassador plunged his government into crisis.

Starmer received messages of support from his top ministers including Healey who said in a social media post: "The PM has my fullest support in leading this government and this country".

LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (ARCHIVE - FEBRUARY 10, 2026) (UK POOL - No use UK, except UK newspapers)

37. BRITISH DEFENCE MINISTER, JOHN HEALEY, ARRIVING TO DOWNING STREET

NATO defence ministers including Healey met on February 12, 2026 to discuss fresh commitments for military support for Ukraine, as the war enters its fifth year.

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (ARCHIVE - FEBRUARY 12, 2026) (NATO – Access All)

38. RUTTE ARRIVING WITH HEALEY

39. ATTENDEES TAKING SEATS

40. HEALEY OPENING MEETING, WELCOMING UKRAINE DEFENCE MINISTER, MYKHAILO FEDOROV