British Defense Minister Ben Wallace announced his intention to visit Russia in the coming days and meet with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. This became known on Thursday, January 27.
Minister Wallace is on a tour of Europe to jump-start sanctions against Russia and support Ukraine amid fears of a Russian “invasion”.
He also confirmed that he would soon travel to Moscow for talks with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. He does not count on a diplomatic breakthrough, although he hopes that there is still a chance to stop the “invasion” of Russia, reports the BBC.
“I’m not at all optimistic,” Wallace said.
Over the past week, the UK has supplied Ukraine with 2,000 light anti-tank weapons and troops to maintain them. But not all NATO allies are prepared to do so. Minister Wallace wants to help inactive fellow members of the alliance change their minds. The Netherlands is Wallace’s first stop on the Eurotour. He and a Dutch colleague are considering sending body armor and sniper rifles to Ukraine.
The new German government continues to resist this pressure from anti-Russian activists. Poland and Latvia publicly criticized the position of the FRG, as Berlin supplies Ukraine with so-called “non-lethal” aid, including field hospitals and 5,000 military helmets. Wallace hopes that the Germans will still support tough economic sanctions against the Russian Federation, according to the BBC material.
Earlier, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu invited his British counterpart Ben Wallace to hold talks in Moscow. On January 21, on the ministry’s Facebook, he wrote that the resumption of contacts in good faith between Russia and the United Kingdom would help reduce tensions in Europe.
Prior to this, during a speech in the Parliament of the United Kingdom, Wallace invited Shoigu to visit London. He stated that the British side is ready to engage in a constructive dialogue in good faith and discuss issues on common security concerns.
At the end of December 2021, Wallace called it unlikely that NATO would send troops to Ukraine, since it is not a member of the alliance. At the same time, the minister did not specify whether the kingdom would join the United States in arming Ukraine.
In the Western media, articles have repeatedly appeared about the allegedly possible Russian invasion of Ukraine. Against this background, American lawmakers are calling for tougher sanctions against Moscow. Russia has repeatedly rejected reports of an alleged possible invasion of Ukraine. On January 10, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov noted that Moscow had no intentions to attack Ukraine and could not have it.
Source: IZ
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
