Boris Johnson responds to Russia’s ‘barefaced lies’ jibe: ‘They’re the bear’
Boris Johnson’s government has been warned Russia will “hit the target” of any foreign warship testing its territorial claims in waters off Crimea, following the showdown in the Black Sea.
The prime minister said it was “entirely right” for the HMS Defender to be in the disputed waters, while the Ministry of Defence (MoD) denied Russia’s claims warning shots were fired and dropped bombs in the path of the warship.
Foreign minister Dominic Raab said Russia’s claims were “predictably inaccurate”. BBC footage appeared to show shots were fired – although well out of range. The MoD said a “gunnery exercise” had been conducted in the area.
Lord Dannatt, ex-head of the British Army, said Vladimir Putin was “testing the will of the West” with the confrontation. “I’m a little bit surprised that the MoD is playing it down,” he said – adding that the idea the shots fired were merely part of a gunnery exercise was “codswallop”.
Cabinet minister George Eustice said British warships would “of course” sail again through the disputed waters. “We never accepted the annexation of Crimea – these were Ukrainian territorial waters.”
Russians fired ‘out of range’, says defence secretary
In a written statement to MPs, defence secretary Ben Wallace said Russian aircraft performed manoeuvres that were “neither safe nor professional” during the Black Sea incident.
Setting out the details of the encounter, he said HMS Defender entered the traffic separation scheme shipping lane inside Ukrainian territorial waters at 9.50am BST.
Ten minutes later a Russian coastguard vessel “warned that Russian units would shortly commence a live fire gunnery exercise”.
Eight minutes after that HMS Defender “noted gunnery astern and out of range of her position”. Wallace claimed “this posed no danger to HMS Defender”.
The minister added: “The Royal Navy will always uphold international law and will not accept unlawful interference with innocent passage.”
Adam Forrest24 June 2021 13:58
No 10 supports EU ‘engagement’ with Russia
The UK’s Black Sea row with Russia comes as France and Germany are seeking to build bridges between Brussels and Moscow.
The PM’s official spokesman said: “It’s a matter for Germany and France … we would obviously support engagement with Russia in order to deliver tough messages and encourage a change in their behaviour.”
He added: “We remain open to a different relationship but for that to happen the Russian government must choose a different path.”
Adam Forrest24 June 2021 13:33
EU needs to restart ‘dialogue’ with Russia, says Macron
The EU should resume dialogue with Russia to safeguard the stability of the continent, French president Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday.
“We need a dialogue to defend our interests … it is a dialogue necessary for the stability of the European continent,” Macron said on entering an EU gathering in Brussels that will discuss the 27-nation bloc’s relations with Russia – and the possibility of a summit with Putin.
Macon and German chancellor Angela Merkel will try to persuade EU leaders to relaunch regular meetings with Putin.
“We cannot stay in a purely reactive logic when it comes to Russia,” said Macron. “I hope that we can, with real European unity and coordination, have this … dialogue.”
Adam Forrest24 June 2021 13:14
No 10 refuses to say whether PM authorised voyage
Downing Street refused to be drawn on whether Boris Johnson personally authorised the HMS Defender’s voyage.
The PM’s official spokesman said: “The route taken was the most direct … The Royal Navy was conducting innocent passage through Ukrainian territorial waters in accordance with international law.”
Asked whether the decision on the route was taken by Johnson, the spokesman said: “I’m not going to get into operational military decision-making.”
Adam Forrest24 June 2021 12:43
PM: ‘Entirely right’ for UK to be in waters off Crimea
Boris Johnson has said it was “entirely right” for the HMS Defender to be travelling through waters off of Crimea.
On a visit to New Normandy Barracks in Aldershot, Johnson said: “These are a matter for the MoD, but if you want my view I think it was wholly appropriate to use international waters.
“And by the way the important point is that we don’t recognise the Russian annexation of Crimea, this is part of a sovereign Ukrainian territory – it was entirely right that we should vindicate the law and pursue freedom of navigation in the way that we did.”
Asked whether relations with Russia were at a historic low, the PM said: “No … I can remember times in my own lifetime when things have been far worse.”
Asked whether the UK was telling “barefaced lies” over the Black Sea incident – as alleged by a Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman – Johnson said: “Well, they’re the bear.”
Boris Johnson responds to Russia’s ‘barefaced lies’ jibe: ‘They’re the bear’
Adam Forrest24 June 2021 12:16
France and Germany want EU summit with Putin
Despite the big stand-off in the Black Sea, EU leaders will consider on Thursday whether to seek a summit with Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Envoys for France and Germany on Wednesday proposed that holding a summit with Putin was a possible way to repair ties between the close trade partners, following on from US president Joe Biden’s summit in Geneva.
Diplomats said there was division over the idea. Some countries such as Belgium said they supported the Franco-German initiative, whereas the Netherlands, Poland and the Baltics echoed a wider-held view that Putin would have to show some gesture of goodwill.
“The conditions for a summit are not right and not there,” one senior EU diplomat said.
Adam Forrest24 June 2021 12:02
Was Royal Navy warship ‘chased out’ of area?
The Russian defence ministry issue footage of Wednesday’s skirmishes – claiming it shows the HMS Defender being chased out of the area off the coast of Crimea.
It appears to show a very slight deviation in the ship’s path. But UK defence secretary Ben Wallace said the ship carried on its way and exited the “internationally recognised” corridor as planned.
BBC defence correspondent Jonathan Beale, on board the ship, said a Russian coastguard vessel had attempted to make it change course but it stayed with the recognised shipping lane.
On disputed claims of warning shots being fired, the BBC footage did show what appeared to be shots being fired in the distance. Beale said: “We did hear some firing in the distance but they were believed to be well out of range.”
Russia releases footage of alleged UK destroyer incident
Adam Forrest24 June 2021 11:29
Russia behaving like ‘rogue state’, says ex-Navy chief
The government may be trying to play down Wednesday’s confrontation – but military figures have made clear how aggressive they consider Russia’s actions to have been.
Lord Alan West, former chief of the Royal Navy, accused Russia of “behaving like a rogue state” after harassing a British warship off the Crimean coast.
“Putin wants to play to his home audience, he wants to tell them, ‘Aren’t I tough, look at that, I’ve made Britain go away’, and that’s why I think they lied about firing warning shots at the defender – which they didn’t do. As per usual, I’m afraid, Putin’s organisation is lying about that.”
“I would say it’s the behaviour of a rogue state, but Russia shouldn’t be a rogue state,” he added.
Adam Forrest24 June 2021 11:16
Squeaky bum time, admits ex-Army chief
Lord Richard Dannatt, former head of the British Army, said the loved ones of crew members onboard HMS Defender “will have been worried” when watching the footage of the confrontation on the Black Sea.
“But these people are professionals. The Royal Navy is a very professional organisation and they will do their duty to their absolute ability,” he told Sky News.
Asked if the idea of a Russian bomb being dropped next to a British warship was “squeaky bum time,” Lord Dannatt replied: “It is.”
He also said the idea Wednesday’s warning shots were merely part of a gunnery exercise was “codswallop”.
Adam Forrest24 June 2021 10:49
Kremlin ‘not ruling anything out’ in future response
The Kremlin has also made its first public response to the maritime confrontation off Crimea – raising the stakes for any repeat mission, writes our Moscow correspondent Oliver Carroll.
Describing the operation by HMS Defender as a “deliberate act of provocation,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow would “not rule anything out … in the legal defence of Russian borders”.
Speaking with journalists in his daily briefing, Peskov said Russia was “very worried” about the significance of the UK’s operations. They were, he claimed, “unacceptable and inconsistent” with international law.
Adam Forrest24 June 2021 10:36