Russia has issued an ultimatum to Britain to halt all military training for Ukrainian troops as a condition of ending the war. Supplies of arms must also be stopped, said Rodion Miroshnik, special envoy to Vladimir Putin’s foreign ministry.
The Russian demand came amid signs Donald Trump is ready to impose swingeing sanctions on the Kremlin over its refusal to end the war. The weekend saw the most intense aerial onslaught of the conflict on Ukraine with 537 strikes by Putin’s forces, including the downing of an F-16 warplane with the death of pilot F-16 pilot Lt-Col Maksym Ustymenko.
The pilot was posthumously awarded the Hero of Ukraine honour by Volodymyr Zelensky for “defending our people from yet another massive Russian attack”.
He was “one of our very best” and “losing people like him is deeply painful”.
Moscow today made clear its aim to kill off Britain’s Operation Interflex training for Ukraine, which has drilled tens of thousands of fighters for battle.
“The participation or complicity of other countries is a key issue that must be stopped in all forms — including weapons deliveries and the training of Ukrainian militants,” said Miroshnik.
“All of this amounts to direct complicity in the conflict.
“Halting these programmes would be a signal of willingness to seek a resolution.”
He was speaking to pro-Putin news outlet Izvestia which reported: “Currently, two main Western training initiatives are active – the UK’s Operation Interflex and the EU’s EUMAM mission”. The number trained was put at 130,000.
Last week Zelensky and UK premier Sir Keir Starmer inspected Ukrainian troops undergoing training in Britain.
The call was echoed by hardliner Konstantin Kosachev, deputy speaker of the Russian senate, the Federation Council.
“Any aid that helps Ukraine continue fighting or preparing terrorist operations clearly does not promote conflict resolution,” he said.
“It is unequivocally hostile to Russia. That is how we classify it.”
London and Brussels are not interested in compromise, he claimed.
“This is a clear campaign against everything Russian — a full display of militarism. I would also add that it shows a desire to shackle the Kyiv government and Ukrainian citizens into tools for achieving British and, in this case, NATO strategic aims.
“Ukrainians no longer have agency. Moscow’s dialogue with London and Brussels has been cut off, and the EU and NATO show no intention of resuming it.”
Britain was accused of being involved in the deaths of Russian troops.
“In practice, they are participating in the killing of our citizens while simultaneously coordinating terrorist attacks by the Kyiv regime on Russian territory,” said Oleg Karpovich, Vice-Rector of the Diplomatic Academy in Moscow.
Russia’s goal remained to “demilitarise” Ukraine even though Russia would remain heavily militarised, he made clear.
Moscow spelled out its conditions amid signs that Trump’s exasperation with Putin has led to him green lighting legislation from Senator Lindsey Graham to impose tough sanctions on the Kremlin.
“For the first time yesterday the president told me… he says, ‘it’s time to move your bill’,” Graham said in an interview with ABC News.
On whether Graham expected Trump ultimately to sign the bill, the senator responded: “Yes, I think we’re in good shape… But he has a waiver. It’s up to him how to impose it.”
Graham said: “So what does this bill do?
