Russia’s ambassador to the United Kingdom, Andrey Kelin, told TASS yesterday that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Jan. 16 visit to Kiev was a deployment against the possibility of a peace settlement. “There can be no doubt that the main aim of Starmer’s trip on the eve of [U.S. President] Donald Trump’s inauguration was to press for preventing a peace settlement, which does not seem to be in London’s interests,” Kelin said.
“The pathos-laden statements that accompanied Starmer’s visit to Kiev about the century-long partnership and the unbreakable bond between Britain and Ukraine can hardly be taken seriously, of course…” Kelin said. “In this context, Kiev should recall the famous saying of Lord Palmerston, the British Empire’s foreign secretary, according to which Britain has neither eternal allies nor perpetual enemies; only its interests are eternal and perpetual.”
Kelin drew attention in a statement on Embassy website, to the wording of the British-Ukrainian agreement and declaration, which make clear that “colonial mentality characteristic of the British ruling class of the 19th century has not been eradicated to this day, and that London is driven by the idea of enslaving Ukraine.”
“Everything said and signed by Starmer in Kiev that day testifies to new, highly provocative British designs regarding Ukraine—of course, in the context of the geopolitical containment of Russia. We cannot ignore the ideas of setting up military bases on Ukrainian territory and forming some kind of joint response groups, as well as commitments to help Kiev develop long-range weapons. All this blends with discussions about the deployment in Ukraine, in one form or another, of contingents from Britain and other Western countries disguised as ‘peacekeepers,’” Kelin said.
The U.K.’s anti-Russian policies are so deep-rooted and long-standing that it would be hard to expect them to be cast away, even if the U.S. starts to pursue different ideas under the new administration, Kelin added. “The U.K.’s anti-Russian policies are deep-rooted, long-standing and consensus-based for the elites, even though they cause damage to the local population and economy. The current Labour government has already committed itself to this agenda with numerous unfriendly, often frankly offensive actions and statements over the past six months,” he continued.
“Similarly, we do not expect that attempts to make a name for themselves at our expense or to curry favor with their senior partners will be less intense. Obviously, London, under the pretext of supporting Kiev, continues to pay special attention to our oil and gas industry and the so-called Russian shadow fleet,” the ambassador said.