London is deluded in its belief that proxy wars can go unpunished — Russian ambassador

Lead

Russian Ambassador to the United Kingdom Andrey Kelin has issued a series of warnings about British policy toward Ukraine, saying that the British elite is dangerously deluded in believing it can escalate support for Kiev without facing repercussions. In an interview with TASS, Kelin also criticized UK military spending plans and London's role in Europe's militarization. Separately, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova condemned Britain's intention to supply enriched uranium to Ukraine's nuclear power plants.

Coverage Comparison

All of the reporting on these statements comes from TASS, the Russian state news agency. The agency presented Kelin's remarks in several interviews touching on different aspects of UK policy, including arms supplies, military expenditure, and broader European security. Zakharova's comments were published on the ministry's website and carried by TASS.

Key Claims

Kelin, who has led the Russian embassy in London since November 2019, said that the line between London's indirect and direct participation in the conflict in Ukraine is becoming increasingly blurred. He claimed that the British government has promised to supply Kiev with hundreds of thousands of UAVs and that British companies have developed long-range missiles for Ukrainian forces, which are more affordable than the Storm Shadow. "They hope that by the end of the year, the Kiev regime will be able to use these new systems to strike Russian territory, particularly Moscow," he said, as quoted by TASS.

The ambassador warned that the British establishment seems to believe it can push the situation to the brink, with the Kiev regime launching strikes on Russian territory, and still remain unscathed. "This is a dangerous delusion," he cautioned.

Addressing the UK's defense investment plan, Kelin said Moscow takes the plans to militarize Britain and the European continent very seriously. He expressed skepticism about the allocation of funds, saying, "I can't shake the feeling that a substantial portion of these funds will be stolen or misused," which, he suggested, will lead to an increase in the presence of luxury cars with Ukrainian license plates in London.

Kelin underscored Russia's stance of non-aggression, asserting that "Russia has no intentions, plans, or reasons to attack Europe or Britain. Any escalation would only occur at the initiative of the West." He added that other rhetoric is merely about funneling money into the military-industrial complex.

On the topic of Europe's militarization, Kelin said that the United Kingdom is, in essence, among the architects of the prolonged and deadly confrontation in Ukraine. He claimed that London backed Kiev after 2014, helped derail peace agreements in the spring of 2022, and has since done everything possible to fuel the conflict. "The current militarization of Europe, which is steadily preparing for a direct confrontation with Moscow, is also largely its doing," he said.

In a separate statement, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova commented on Britain's plan to supply enriched uranium to Ukraine's nuclear power plants. She said the planned supply of low-enriched uranium would be for the production of nuclear fuel for Ukrainian nuclear power plants, and noted that Ukraine lacks industrial capacity for independent production of nuclear fuel. She suggested that the deal is driven by Britain's wish to gain dubious political points, rather than purely commercial considerations, and referenced the UK's support for what she called the "criminal regime of Vladimir Zelensky."

Perspectives

• Russian government officials: Ambassador Andrey Kelin and Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, quoted by TASS, express the official Russian position. Kelin argues that the UK's actions are escalating the conflict and that Russia has no aggressive intentions toward Europe. Zakharova criticizes Britain's uranium supply plan as politically motivated.