Wallace said he hoped the arms announced on Monday would send a message to the Kremlin. Tobias Ellwood, Conservative chairman of the defence committee, asked what further support Nato would provide if Putin gave the green light to an invasion. The German foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, said before a meeting with her Russian counterpart on Tuesday that she hoped the tensions could be resolved by diplomacy but, if not, Moscow would pay a “high price” for aggressive acts toward Ukraine. “Any invasion will not be viewed as a ‘liberation’ but as occupation, and I fear that it could lead to huge loss of life on all sides.” “I have visited Ukraine five times since 2016, and I know that the Ukrainians are a proud people who will stand and fight – for their country, for democracy and for freedom,” Wallace said. Nato members have said the alliance would not intervene militarily to defend Kyiv, but have indicated that they would be prepared to hit Russia with economic sanctions – and continue to supply arms to forces inside the country both before and after any invasion. Moscow’s demands were rejected by the west in a series of diplomatic negotiations last week, prompting concerns that Russia may be ready to consider a military options to reassert greater control over Ukraine. But western military analysts say the most direct route for Russia to attack Kyiv is from Belarus, a manoeuvre that would circumvent the Dnieper river that runs through Ukraine’s capital. Some Russian troops have begun to move into Belarus for planned military exercises, named United Resolve. Russia has massed over 100,000 troops on its border with Ukraine, demanding that the country never become a member of Nato and insisting on other security guarantees that would amount to the creation of a sphere of influence for Moscow in former Soviet states. Until recently the UK has focused on selling ships and naval equipment to Ukraine, announcing a £1.7bn deal to supply two mine sweepers and jointly build eight ships for its small Black Sea fleet last year. The latest arms consignment represents a step up from existing British military commitments. “We are ready to discuss issues related to mutual security concerns and engage constructively, in good faith,” the British minister said. Wallace also said he would invite his Russian counterpart, Sergei Shoigu, for bilateral talks in London, although it was far from clear whether the meeting would take place. John Healey, the shadow defence secretary, described them as “anti-tank weapons” and said the UK must ensure they “won’t be used, unless Russia invades”. Labour said it supported the announcement, on which it had been briefed in advance. In theory, the lighter weapons can knock out a tank by striking it from above. They have similar capabilities, but are not as powerful as Javelin anti-tank missiles, supplied by the US to Ukraine from 2018. However, experts said the arms supplied were likely to be handheld next-generation light anti-tank weapons, with a range of a few hundred metres, intended to help combat Russia’s tank-heavy army. UK defence sources would not immediately spell out what weapons had been supplied and how many. “Let me be clear: this support is for short-range and clearly defensive weapon capabilities they are not strategic weapons and pose no threat to Russia they are to use in self-defence,” Wallace added.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |