MOSCOW: Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday that Britain needed to disclose what a British soldier killed in Ukraine on Tuesday was really doing there, accusing London of helping Kyiv carry out “acts of terrorism.”
Britain’s Ministry of Defense said on Tuesday that the soldier, Lance Corporal George Hooley, died in Ukraine while observing Ukrainian forces test a new defensive capability away from the frontline.
Zakharova said the British government should not deceive its citizens by claiming that British soldiers sent to Ukraine were mere advisers or instructors, accusing British forces of helping Kyiv “carry out terrorist attacks and extremist tasks” on London’s direct orders.
Zakharova, who said Russia would regard any foreign military contingents in Ukraine as legitimate targets, did not set out evidence to back up her accusations of alleged wider UK involvement.
The British government, one of Ukraine’s staunchest supporters, has never confirmed how many service personnel are in Ukraine but the BBC has reported that a small contingent is supporting Ukrainian forces and is providing security to diplomatic staff.
Russia urges UK to disclose what soldier killed in Ukraine was doing, accuses London of wider role
https://arab.news/9fkzs
Russia urges UK to disclose what soldier killed in Ukraine was doing, accuses London of wider role
- Britain’s Ministry of Defense said the soldier died in Ukraine while observing Ukrainian forces test a new defensive capability
- Zakharova said the British government should not deceive its citizens
South Korea calls for resuming dialogue with North
- President Lee Jae Myung has sought to mend ties with the nuclear-armed North since taking office in June
- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un last week dashed hopes of a diplomatic thaw with Seoul
SEOUL: South Korean President Lee Jae Myung called on Sunday for dialogue with North Korea to resume, after Pyongyang last week shunned the prospect of diplomacy with its neighbor.
Since taking office in June, a dovish Lee has sought to mend ties with the nuclear-armed North, which reaffirmed its anti-Seoul approach during a party meeting last week.
“As my administration has repeatedly made clear, we respect the North’s system and will neither engage in any type of hostile acts, nor pursue any form of unification by absorption,” Lee said in a speech marking the anniversary of a historical campaign against Japan’s colonial rule.
“We will also continue our efforts to resume dialogue with the North,” he said.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un last week dashed hopes of a diplomatic thaw with Seoul, describing its overtures as “clumsy, deceptive farce and a poor work.”
Speaking at the party congress in Pyongyang, Kim said North Korea has “absolutely no business dealing with South Korea, its most hostile entity, and will permanently exclude South Korea from the category of compatriots.”
But he also said the North could “get along well” with the United States if Washington acknowledges its nuclear status.
Speculation has mounted over whether US President Donald Trump will seek a meeting with Kim during planned travels to China.
Last year, Trump said he was “100 percent” open to a meeting.
Previous Trump-Kim summits during the US president’s first term fell apart after the pair failed to agree over sanctions relief — and what nuclear concessions North Korea might make in return.
