On April 5 (local time), in an interview with Izvestia newspaper, Russian Ambassador Andrey Kelin shared his views on the role of the UK in the current context.
According to Mr. Kelin, the British government seems to prioritize maintaining the intensity of military operations rather than seeking troop withdrawal solutions to minimize casualties. He believes that military support from the British side in recent times, including long-range weapons, is evidence of the orientation to continue promoting fighting from London.
Mr. Kelin cited recent incidents in the Bryansk and Leningrad regions, where the Russian side recorded the appearance of Storm Shadow cruise missiles provided by the UK.
According to the Russian ambassador, the attacks targeting residential areas and civilian targets in these border provinces show that the level of British involvement is not only limited to defense support. Moscow considers this a worrying reality as modern weapons are being widely used in deep attacks on Russian territory.
The key point in Mr. Kelin's assessment lies in the UK's attitude towards the Donbass situation. He said London is currently not considering the scenario of Ukrainian troops withdrawing from this area, despite proposals on security assurances.
The Russian Ambassador said that, from the British side's perspective, such a troop retreat could be considered a "great gift" for Moscow on the geopolitical chessboard. Therefore, even if troop withdrawal is likely to help cool down the fierce fighting phase and save many lives, the British side still maintains a non-consensual stance.
The Russian side assessed that London's view shows that strategic goals are being placed above efforts to cool down the conflict. Ambassador Kelin said that instead of supporting practical steps to end the military confrontation phase early, the UK is focusing on maintaining pressure on Russia. This inadvertently makes humanitarian solutions to protect soldiers and civilians more difficult to implement in the context of complicated warfare.
Currently, the British government still maintains its commitment to long-term support for Ukraine and affirms its actions to help this country protect its territorial sovereignty. London has not yet issued an official response to Mr. Kelin's specific assessments regarding the situation in Donbass or the attacks in Bryansk.
