Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has condemned the British Foreign Secretary’s calls for allies to send “heavy weapons, tanks, aircraft”. to Ukraine
Moscow has warned London that Britain, by “pumping” Ukraine with weapons, is undermining European security. The remark came after the British Foreign Secretary called on the Allies to provide Ukraine with “heavy weapons, tanks, aircraft”, while strengthening the defense capabilities of Moldova and Georgia.
In a telephone conversation with journalists on Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that “the tendency in itself to pump weapons, including heavy weapons, into Ukraine and other countries is something that threatens the continent’s security and provokes instability.”
British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss gave her keynote address on Wednesday.
She argued against the view that “we should not provide heavy weapons for fear of provoking something worse”, and insisted that “involvement would be the biggest provocation” in the current circumstances.
Truss claimed that “the architecture designed to guarantee peace and prosperity has failed with Ukraine”, with “the economic and security structures that developed after World War II and the Cold War” have “bent out of shape.” This, she suggested, calls for a “new approach” that “combines tough security and economic security” and contributes to the creation of “stronger global alliances.” The Foreign Minister called on “free nations” to be “more confident and confident” and to base their strategies on the assumption that “geopolitics is back.”
Truss also proclaimed that “the war in Ukraine is our war”, with Kiev’s victory as a “strategic imperative” for Britain and its allies. She went on to demand that “heavy weapons, tanks, aircraft” be provided to Ukraine, adding that “we must do all this.”
In addition, the West must “ensure that, alongside Ukraine, the Western Balkans and countries such as Moldova and Georgia have the resilience and ability to maintain their sovereignty and freedom,” Truss stressed.
According to the highest British diplomat, NATO should integrate Finland and Sweden “as soon as possible” if the two Nordic nations choose to join the military alliance.
In an obvious reference to Russia’s previous warnings, Truss described Britain as a “risk taker” who “has always resisted bullies” and is “prepared to be bold”.
The Kremlin’s response to these comments follows Moscow’s repeated condemnation of NATO arms deliveries to Ukraine. Russia insists that transport only hampers the prospects for peace in the country. The Kremlin also made it clear that all military hardware supplies would be considered a legitimate target once they pass through Ukraine.
“NATO is essentially at war with Russia through a proxy and arming the proxy. War means war,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday.
Russia attacked Ukraine in late February, following Kiev’s failure to implement the terms of the Minsk agreements, which were first signed in 2014, and Moscow’s final recognition of the Donbass republics of Donetsk and Lugansk. The German- and French-mediated protocols were designed to give the breakaway regions special status within the Ukrainian state.
The Kremlin has since demanded that Ukraine officially declare itself a neutral country that will never join the US-led NATO military bloc. Kyiv insists that the Russian offensive was completely unprovoked and has denied allegations that it planned to retake the two republics by force.
(RT.com)
Source: sn.dk