Russia said on Monday that any deployment of "British military assets" in Ukraine under a new century-old partnership agreement between Kiev and London would cause concern in Moscow, Reuters reported.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was asked to comment on the possibility of Britain establishing military bases in Ukraine under the agreement announced yesterday by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
„Given that Britain is a NATO member, the advancement of its military infrastructure towards our borders is certainly a truly worrying element. In any case, we will need to further analyze what will happen,“ said Peskov.
During yesterday's talks in the Ukrainian capital, Zelensky said he had spoken to Starmer about Kiev's desire to deploy Western peacekeepers in the country if the war with Russia ends.
When asked whether Britain would send troops, Starmer said in an interview with “Sky News“ that he had discussed this with Zelensky and other allies and that the UK “will play its full role“.
Peskov said Moscow “negatively“ the possibility of British cooperation with Ukraine in the Sea of Azov, which he described as an “internal sea“ for Russia.
The Sea of Azov borders southwestern Russia, parts of southern Ukraine that Russia seized during the war, and the Crimean peninsula, which Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014.