Russia spouts ‘predictable nonsense’ as it blasts UK with wild ‘sabotage’ claim

By David Williamson, Chief Political Commentator

Dame Priti Patel: 'Putin has to know that if he tests the Euro-Atlantic alliance, he will fail' (Image: Getty Images / Peter Nicholls)

Russia has launched a blazing attack on the UK, accusing Britain of trying to sabotage upcoming talks between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin aimed at ending the carnage in Ukraine. The Russian Embassy in London took a swing at the UK, saying it and other European states wanted to “use Ukraine as an anti-Russian battering ram”.

The blast comes as the Russian and American leaders prepare for a summit in Alaska. A top concern for the UK is that Ukraine should not be forced to accept changes to its borders. Shadow Foreign Secretary Dame Priti Patel said it was vital that “Putin’s aggression” was not “rewarded”.

She told the Express: “Ukraine’s fight against Putin’s illegal invasion is vital for all of Europe. We share the president’s frustration with Putin’s continual delaying tactics and maximalist demands.

“Putin has to know that if he tests the Euro-Atlantic alliance, he will fail. We must stand up for the territorial integrity of Ukraine and ensure that at no stage is Putin’s aggression rewarded.

“Ukraine is in a battle for its own sovereignty as well as the principles that underpin our whole way of life – democracy, liberty, and the rule of law. Britain is proud to stand with Ukraine.”

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer this week spoke with his Canadian opposite number, Mark Carney, and Downing Street said the two men agreed any peace deal must be “built with Ukraine – not imposed upon it”.

The Russian Embassy slammed the UK for “ongoing attempts by London and some of its partners to disrupt a peace resolution of the conflict by eliminating its root causes”. It attacked “statements and activity developed by the British leadership in the run-up to the Russian-American summit in Alaska”.

Alan Mendoza, of the Henry Jackson Society think tank, told the Express: “This is predictable nonsense from Russia and an attempt to deflect from the reality that responsibility for this war and its continuation solely rests with the Putin regime. There can be no peace in Ukraine that is not consented to by Ukraine.”

Meanwhile, European Union leaders warned that “the path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine”.

The statement, signed by 26 leaders but not Hungary’s Viktor Orban, warns: “A just and lasting peace that brings stability and security must respect international law, including the principles of independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and that international borders must not be changed by force.”

Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky has rejected giving up land in exchange for a ceasefire. He has warned there are signs Russia is “not preparing to end the war” but getting ready for “new offensive operations”.