UK MPs and public figures call to ‘halt escalation in Ukraine’
(about 4 hours later)
A group of senior UK lawmakers and public figures have urged Washington and London to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict
A group of British lawmakers and other well known faces have urged Washington and London to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict
British politicians and public figures have urged the US and the UK to work towards de-escalating the Ukraine crisis. The call was issued after London and Washington gave Kiev permission to launch long-range missiles they have given to Ukraine deep into Russian territory.
A group of British lawmakers and public figures, including former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, MP Diane Abbott, and legendary musician Brian Eno, has called on the US and UK to de-escalate the Ukraine conflict. The appeal comes after Washington and London allowed Kiev to launch long-range missile attacks deep into Russian territory.
Last week, Ukraine launched long-range attacks on Russia’s Bryansk and Kursk regions using US-made ATACMS missiles and British-supplied Storm Shadows. In response, Moscow deployed its brand-new hypersonic Oreshnik ballistic missile, capable of carrying nuclear warheads, against a Ukrainian military factory in Dnepropetrovsk. Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed the nation and warned that the conlict had taken on a global character.
In an open letter published by The Guardian on Tuesday, the group expressed deep concern over the growing risk of a much larger conflict. “This rapid escalation seriously threatens an all-out military confrontation with Russia and NATO,” they wrote.
The latest developments have caused great concern, a group of British MPs and public figures, including former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, Diane Abbott and renowned musician Brian Eno said in an open letter published by The Guardian on Tuesday. “This rapid escalation seriously threatens an all-out military confrontation with Russia and NATO,” they stressed.
Ukraine has recently used US-made ATACMS missiles and British-supplied Storm Shadows to strike the Russian regions of Bryansk and Kursk. Moscow responded by deploying its new hypersonic Oreshnik missile, capable of carrying nuclear warheads, against a Ukrainian military facility in Dnepropetrovsk. Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that the conflict has taken on a “global character.
“The risk of a nuclear attack cannot be ruled out,” the group warned, calling on outgoing US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to de-escalate the conflict and commit to peace by securing talks with Russia and Ukraine.
On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said a political and diplomatic resolution of the Ukraine conflict was still “a very long way off.” He criticized the US and its allies for continuing to arm Ukraine with long-range missiles and suggested the West was fixated on securing a strategic defeat for Russia.”
“The British government has to take responsibility for its actions and these terrible consequences. With hundreds of thousands already killed and injured, securing an end to this horrific conflict is crucial,” the group wrote. They stressed that “diplomacy and dialogue, not military escalation, are the only viable paths to a peaceful settlement in the region.”
Lavrov reiterated that Moscow would respond decisively to such moves, warning, “all those responsible for causing damage to Russian citizens and infrastructure will receive the punishment they deserve.”
On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov noted that a political and diplomatic settlement of the Ukraine conflict is “still a very long way off,” judging by the current situation on the battlefield.
OHe also emphasized that any future diplomatic settlement must address the root causes of the conflict, including NATO’s expansion and the treatment of Russian speakers in Ukraine.
The diplomat said that recent “escalatory steps” by the US and its allies, such as granting Kiev permission to use Western long-range missiles against Russian territories, suggested that the West was still “obsessed with the idea of inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia.”
The public figures who signed the letter also warned that the risk of a nuclear escalation could not be ruled out. “The British government has to take responsibility for its actions and these terrible consequences,” they wrote. “Securing an end to this horrific conflict is crucial.”
He recalled that Russian President Vladimir Putin has already warned that Moscow would respond to such moves, adding that “all those responsible for causing damage to Russian citizens and infrastructure will receive the punishment they deserve.”
They called for diplomacy and dialogue to replace military escalation, urging leaders like US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to commit to peace talks with Russia and Ukraine.
Lavrov also noted that any diplomatic solution that could potentially be achieved between Russia and Ukraine would inevitably have to involve the eradication of “the root causes of the conflict,” such as NATO’s continued expansion and the “systematic” violations of the rights of Russian speakers in Ukraine by its government.
