MOSCOW, September 19. /TASS/. Ukraine is now officially losing its financial, military, and political independence and becoming a colony under Britain’s contemporary protectorate, Alexander Stepanov, military expert at the Institute of Law and National Security of the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA), told TASS.

"Within the strategy of exerting pressure on Russia, escalating tensions, and creating unacceptable conditions for constructive negotiations, bilateral frameworks are being established. An example of such cooperation is the Paris-London axis, with the latter playing thedominant role. De facto, we are witnessing thefinal loss of Kiev’s financial, military, and political sovereignty, and the official transition of Ukraine under Britain’s military protectorate in a modern format," the expert commented on the UK Defense Ministry’s announcement of the establishment of the Multinational Force Ukraine (MNF-U) headquarters.

Stepanov noted that London has obstructed the peace process since the start of the Ukrainian conflict, contributing to the destruction of negotiation channels that were expected to be established in Istanbul back in April 2022. At that time, he recalled, former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson effectively prevented Kiev from continuing any dialogue and forcibly pushed the Kiev regime to escalate hostilities. Stepanov added that London and Paris have been among the main suppliers of high-precision Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG cruise missiles.