LONDON, October 25. /TASS/. Britain is trying to cast doubt on Moscow's relations with the Global South with its statements that Moscow's actions in the Black Sea allegedly pose a threat to world food security, Russia’s ambassador to London, Andrey Kelin, has told TASS.
"In a rather lengthy and long statement [British Prime Minister Keir] Starmer talks about Russia's attack on several ships, port infrastructure in Odessa and some other places. Under this pretext, the British have decided to provide naval drones and radio-electronic warfare equipment. I see two aspects here. First, it is an attempt to cast doubt on our relations with the Global South by means of far-fetched fantasies that strikes on Ukrainian ports allegedly delay food supplies to the population of the world's poorest countries. Even Palestine is mentioned in this context," Kelin noted.
Speaking about the second aspect of the problem, the Russian ambassador said Starmer's statement was tantamount to "self-disclosure," because "it is impossible to protect ports with naval drones."
"The point at issue is the ships involved deliver arms and equipment to the Ukrainian military. These drones are designed to escort and protect, to provide escorts for ships to Ukrainian ports. The ships move along the Black Sea coast, and it is clear that they are moving for a good reason. Most likely, the mentioned drones can also be used to attack the Crimean bridge, as it has already happened. Apparently, these tasks are on their plans as well," the Russian ambassador said.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's office said Tuesday night that London would contribute 120 million pounds ($155 million) to the Maritime Capability Coalition set up with Norway to provide naval assistance to Ukraine. The statement said the United Kingdom was also looking for partners to fund the supply of hundreds of naval drones and surveillance radars to Ukraine ostensibly to protect the grain corridor in the Black Sea.