UK to Send Warships to Black Sea as West Taunts Russia
LONDON (Dispatches) -- British warships will sail for the Black Sea in May amid rising tensions between Ukraine and Russia, the Sunday Times newspaper reported, citing senior naval sources.
The deployment is aimed at showing solidarity with Ukraine and Britain’s NATO allies, the newspaper reported.
One Type 45 destroyer armed with anti-aircraft missiles and an anti-submarine Type 23 frigate will leave the Royal Navy’s carrier task group in the Mediterranean and head through the Bosphorus into the Black Sea, according to the report.
RAF F-35B Lightning stealth jets and Merlin submarine-hunting helicopters will stand ready on the task group’s flag ship, the carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, to support the warships in the Black Sea, the report added.
Tensions between Moscow and Kyiv have been rising amid a clashes in eastern Ukraine between the army and pro-Russian separatists.
A UK Ministry of Defense spokesman told the newspaper that the UK government was working closely with Ukraine to monitor the situation and continued to call on Russia to de-escalate.
World powers should draw "clear red lines” with Russia and consider possible sanctions against Moscow when they’re crossed, French President Emmanuel Macron told U.S. news network CBS in an interview.
Macron said he "fully” shares U.S. President Joe Biden’s desire to open dialogue with Russia. However, he said it was important to be clear with Putin "when we are not aligned.”
"This is the only way to be credible. I think that sanctions are not sufficient in itself, in themselves, but sanctions are part of the package. I do prefer constructive dialogue, but to have a constructive and efficient dialogue, you need credibility,” Macron said.
On Thursday, Biden announced more sanctions against Russia this week after accusing it of the SolarWinds cyber hacking and interference in the 2020 U.S. presidential election.
On Friday, Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel voiced their support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, calling on Russia to rapidly withdraw its troops from the border region.
Russia says it is using its own territory for defensive activity amid increased NATO presence near its borders.
The deployment is aimed at showing solidarity with Ukraine and Britain’s NATO allies, the newspaper reported.
One Type 45 destroyer armed with anti-aircraft missiles and an anti-submarine Type 23 frigate will leave the Royal Navy’s carrier task group in the Mediterranean and head through the Bosphorus into the Black Sea, according to the report.
RAF F-35B Lightning stealth jets and Merlin submarine-hunting helicopters will stand ready on the task group’s flag ship, the carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, to support the warships in the Black Sea, the report added.
Tensions between Moscow and Kyiv have been rising amid a clashes in eastern Ukraine between the army and pro-Russian separatists.
A UK Ministry of Defense spokesman told the newspaper that the UK government was working closely with Ukraine to monitor the situation and continued to call on Russia to de-escalate.
World powers should draw "clear red lines” with Russia and consider possible sanctions against Moscow when they’re crossed, French President Emmanuel Macron told U.S. news network CBS in an interview.
Macron said he "fully” shares U.S. President Joe Biden’s desire to open dialogue with Russia. However, he said it was important to be clear with Putin "when we are not aligned.”
"This is the only way to be credible. I think that sanctions are not sufficient in itself, in themselves, but sanctions are part of the package. I do prefer constructive dialogue, but to have a constructive and efficient dialogue, you need credibility,” Macron said.
On Thursday, Biden announced more sanctions against Russia this week after accusing it of the SolarWinds cyber hacking and interference in the 2020 U.S. presidential election.
On Friday, Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel voiced their support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, calling on Russia to rapidly withdraw its troops from the border region.
Russia says it is using its own territory for defensive activity amid increased NATO presence near its borders.