The United Kingdom has begun supplying Ukraine with anti-tank weapons so it can defend itself against a potential Russian attack. A “small number” of Britons are traveling to Ukraine to train soldiers, British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said on Monday announced in the House of Commons. Wallace did not specify exactly how many weapons London supplies to Ukraine and what type they are.
They are not strategic weapons and they pose no threat to Russia. According to Wallace, the deliveries are intended “in self-defense” in response to “Russia’s threatening behavior”. His Ukrainian counterpart reacted enthusiastically to the announcement. “Ukraine greatly appreciates United Kingdom’s decision,” said Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov. “Thanks for the great speech in Parliament!”
The United Kingdom may not be the first country to send aid to Ukraine because of the increased Russian threat at the border. According to the Canadian news channel Global News, that country also has a unknown number of soldiers sent to Ukraine. Canadian units were said to have traveled to Ukraine for the last time on January 9, anonymous sources report to the channel. The military would not be there for training purposes. Previously, the United States also sent weapons towards the area.
Also read: Russia seems to be heading for escalation
Border escalation
Russia has gathered 100,000 troops on the border with Ukraine in recent weeks. Although Putin’s motives are unclear to the outside world, some analysts fear a Russian invasion of (part of) Ukraine.
Talks between Russia and NATO failed to settle the crisis last week. Russia is demanding that NATO not expand eastward and is demanding a membership ban for countries such as Georgia and Ukraine. Moscow also wants NATO to withdraw troops and equipment from the territory of Eastern European allies, such as Poland and Estonia. The West sees these unfeasible demands as a sought-after excuse for military intervention.
The American newspaper The New York Times reported on Monday, based on an anonymous senior Ukrainian security official, that Moscow had begun talks with NATO with bringing back Russian diplomats and their families from Ukraine. Diplomats from the embassy in Kiev and several consulates, including those in Lviv in western Ukraine, have been recalled, the newspaper said. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on Tuesday that the embassy is still in operation, reports the Russian news agency Interfax.
It is not clear what Putin’s intention would be in bringing back the Russian diplomats. Ukrainian and US officials speculate in the NYT that Russia may want to bolster NATO’s demands, prepare for or threaten an imminent invasion – or all three.
Also read: If Russia invades Ukraine, what would that look like?
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