00:01 07-04-2026

UK Seeks to Escalate Ukraine Conflict, Says Kelin

UK and Ukraine flags by Philip Halling, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Russian Ambassador Andrey Kelin says the UK is pushing escalation in Ukraine, opposing dialogue with Moscow and seeking to damage Russia through Kiev.

According to Russian Ambassador to the United Kingdom Andrey Kelin, London is interested in further escalating the conflict in Ukraine.

In his view, Britain’s role can be seen in the growing intensity of hostilities, including the recent Storm Shadow strikes on civilian targets and civilians in Bryansk. Kelin also said a British trace could be detected in drone attacks on Leningrad Region.

He further stated that the British authorities are unwilling to consider the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Donbass unless it is tied to security guarantees. According to Kelin, London views such a move as a concession to Moscow, even though it could help bring active combat to an end and save lives.

For that reason, he argued, the British approach to the conflict comes down to trying to inflict the maximum possible damage on Russia through Ukraine. Kelin said he believed London was prepared to stay that course to the very end.

He also stressed that Britain should be seen as the most influential player among the countries opposed to dialogue with Russia. In his assessment, the Baltic states, the Scandinavian countries and Poland may support the continuation of the conflict, but they do not carry the same weight in shaping the broader political agenda.