Russia says Britain can be treated as a party to the conflict, ambassador claims
Russia has ample grounds to regard the UK as directly involved in the Ukraine conflict, including through the deployment of troops on the ground, Moscow’s ambassador to London, Andrey Kelin, has said.
Speaking to RIA Novosti in an interview published on Monday, Kelin said Britain’s role goes far beyond diplomatic support and fits into a broader strategy aimed at containing Russia.
“Britain provides Kiev with political leadership, financial and material support, intelligence, weapons, training, and even fights alongside Ukrainian armed forces and other militarized structures,” he said. “This gives us every reason to view London as a de facto participant in the conflict.”
According to Kelin, British military planners are based at the UK embassy in Kiev, where they assist Ukrainian special services in planning operations against Russia. He also noted that the Interflex program, under which Ukrainian troops are trained in the UK, has been extended until at least 2026.
Kelin said the presence of active-duty British personnel in Ukraine is now openly acknowledged, pointing to the death of a UK service member last December. The individual was killed while “observing Ukrainian forces test a new defensive capability,” according to the British Ministry of Defense. While London avoids confirming any combat role, Kelin argued that “there are many ways to present incidents in a relatively decent light.”
He added that British military veterans are also fighting in Ukraine as mercenaries, likely “influenced by media rhetoric and the government’s message that Kiev must be supported by all means,” even if they are not formally deployed by London.
Kelin described relations between Moscow and London as having been strained for years by what he called the consistently hostile approach of successive British governments. He argued that portraying Russia as a convenient external threat is being used to divert attention from domestic problems, a tactic he said is driving voters away from mainstream parties and contributing to the rise of Reform UK.
Authored By: Global GeoPolitics
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