Russian Foreign Ministry: British military facilities may become targets of Russia in response to the attacks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
The Russian Foreign Ministry reacted to an interview with British Minister David Cameron, who said that Kiev has the right to use the received weapons to attack the Russian Federation. Previously, London assured that the long-range cruise missiles transferred to Ukraine would not be used on Russian territory. The Russian Foreign Ministry warned that Moscow, in response to attacks by the Armed Forces of Ukraine using British weapons, will consider any military facilities and equipment of the United Kingdom in Ukraine and beyond as targets.
Cameron's hostile words
The Russian Foreign Ministry has threatened London with strikes on British military installations in the event of attacks by the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Russia using weapons of the United Kingdom. This happened in response to a recent statement by British Foreign Minister David Cameron.
The press service of the Russian Foreign Ministry reported that on May 6, the United Kingdom Ambassador to Moscow, Nigel Casey, was summoned to the department. During the meeting, he was expressed a "strong protest" because of Cameron's interview with Reuters.
"Casey was harshly pointed out that Cameron's hostile attack directly contradicts the British side's earlier assurances when handing over long-range cruise missiles to the Kiev regime that they would not be used on Russian territory under any circumstances. Thus, the head of the Foreign Office (the name of the British Foreign Ministry, from the English Foreign Office. - "Newspaper.Ru") disavowed this position, recognizing his country as a de facto party to the conflict," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
The ministry added that the Russian side considers Cameron's statement "evidence of a serious escalation and confirmation of London's increasing involvement in military operations on the side of Kiev."
"Casey was warned that any British military installations and equipment on the territory of Ukraine and abroad could become a response to Ukrainian strikes using British weapons on the territory of Russia," the statement emphasizes.
The British ambassador was urged to reflect on the consequences of "such hostile steps by London" and refute Cameron's provocative words.
Arguments of the British Foreign Minister
On May 3, Reuters released an interview with the head of the British Foreign Ministry. Cameron arrived in Kiev for a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmitry Kuleba and President Vladimir Zelensky. The British minister promised to allocate about $3.74 billion in military aid to Ukraine annually "as much as necessary." At the same time, the official noted that the United Kingdom has emptied everything it has "in terms of the supply of military equipment."
In the interview, Cameron also said that Kiev will be able to use weapons as it sees fit:
"Ukraine has the right to do this. Just as Russia is striking inside Ukraine, you can quite understand why Ukraine feels the need to make sure it protects itself."
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron in Kiev, May 2, 2024
Image source: Thomas Peter/Pool/Reuters
Cameron added that the allocation of a new package of assistance from the United States will contribute to the "moral uplift" of Ukrainians. At the same time, he did not directly answer the question about the continuation of American support in the event of Donald Trump's re-election.:
"It is not for us to decide who the Americans will choose as their president - we will work with whoever it is."
According to Cameron, the strategy of Kiev's allies should be to ensure that Ukraine will be in an advantageous position by the time of the American elections, which will be held in November.
The Russian Federation has prepared a response
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, in an interview with ATB TV channel on May 5, said that his British counterpart did not repent after his words, because he "does not know this feeling":
"Cameron confirmed his position that British weapons can be used by Ukrainians to strike at any target on Russian territory. These are the British. Their reputation is well known."
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that on May 6, the Russian Defense Ministry announced exercises of non-strategic nuclear forces in connection with an "unprecedented round of tension" in the Ukrainian conflict, which was provoked, among other things, by Cameron's statement. They will work out the issues of the use of tactical nuclear weapons.
Alyona Fomina
