After the British ship invaded Russian territorial waters, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that London and Washington were trying to provoke a dispute in the Black Sea.
Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said today (Friday) that Britain and the United States are trying to provoke a dispute in the Black Sea.
“Russia will defend its borders in any way possible, including (with the help of) its military,” Reuters quoted Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency as saying.
He also warned on Thursday about the resumption of illegal entry of NATO ships into the country’s waters.
“The immunity of Russia’s borders is imperative and will be protected in every way, whether diplomatic, political or military,” Ryabkov told reporters.
The Russian diplomat added that Britain should change the name of its destroyer from “Defender” to “Attacker”, and that “those who want to test our strength take great risks.” We may ask them to be rational and to respect international law. “If it did not work, we might drop the bomb, but not in the [offensive] path, but right on it.”
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also said that the British destroyer’s attempt to invade Russia’s territorial waters was certain that it would not have taken place without US approval.
“Why is that?” The Russian diplomat wrote on his Telegram channel on Thursday. The ship (British destroyer) was still in the northwestern part of the Black Sea to prepare for the US-led “Sea Breeze” military exercise.
He added that US experts noted that US, British, and Ukrainian special operations units were training on the ship at the time of the incident. In such circumstances, it is impossible that the “peaceful passage” of the British destroyer was not agreed upon by the older brother (America).
International media reported Wednesday afternoon that a Russian ship had been forced to fire a warning to drive the British warship out of Russian territorial waters near the Crimean peninsula. On the other hand, a Russian fighter bombed the route of the British ship.
However, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday defended his actions, saying that because the country does not recognize the annexation of Crimea to Russia, he believes that the British destroyer did not enter Russian territory.
The Crimean peninsula annexed Russia in 2014 after a referendum, but the United States and its allies have refused to recognize it.
