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30th June 2025
05:13pm BST
Russia has issued a chilling warning to the UK if it continues to provide military training for Ukrainian troops, claiming it is "direct complicity in the conflict".
The warning consists of an ultimatum to Britain that it must stop all military training for Ukrainian troops for the war to end.
Rodion Miroshnik, special envoy to Vladimir Putin's foreign ministry, said that the supplies of arms must also be stopped. The Russian demand follows Donald Trump suggesting the US is ready to impose severe sanctions on the Kremlin over its refusal to end the war.
The past weekend saw the most intense aerial onslaught of the conflict on Ukraine with 537 strikes by Putin's forces, including bringing down an F-16 warplane with pilot Lt-Col Maksym Ustymenko being killed as a result.
The pilot was awarded the Hero of Ukraine honour by Volodymyr Zelensky for “defending our people from yet another massive Russian attack”.
"He was one of our very best. Losing people like him is deeply painful,” Zelensky said, per the Mirror.
Today (June 30), Moscow has made it clear it wants Britain to get rid of Britain's Operation Interflex training for Ukraine, which has already drilled tens of thousands of fighters for battle.
Miroshnik claims: “The participation or complicity of other countries is a key issue that must be stopped in all forms — including weapons deliveries and the training of Ukrainian militants.
“All of this amounts to direct complicity in the conflict. Halting these programmes would be a signal of willingness to seek a resolution.”
Pro-Putin news outlet Izvestia reported: “Currently, two main Western training initiatives are active - the UK’s Operation Interflex and the EU’s EUMAM mission.”
It is believed that the number of trained soldiers stands at 130,000.
The deputy speaker of the Russian senate, Konstantin Kosachev, said: “Any aid that helps Ukraine continue fighting or preparing terrorist operations clearly does not promote conflict resolution,” he said. “It is unequivocally hostile to Russia. That is how we classify it.”
He also claimed that London and Brussels are not interested in any sort of compromise.
Kosachev continued: “This is a clear campaign against everything Russian, a full display of militarism. I would also add that it shows a desire to shackle the Kyiv government and Ukrainian citizens into tools for achieving British and, in this case, NATO strategic aims.
“Ukrainians no longer have agency. Moscow’s dialogue with London and Brussels has been cut off, and the EU and NATO show no intention of resuming it.”
Britain was also accused of being involved in the deaths of Russian troops.
