© AP Photo/ Efrem Lukatsky
The United Kingdom will continue to provide military support to Kiev, in response to what London considers to be Russian aggression in Ukraine, UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said Friday.
"The UK will continue to support Ukraine to restore its sovereignty and territorial integrity and reforms its institutions. Specifically, we will continue to help Ukraine's armed forces to modernize and provide technical assistance to support reform in the fight against corruption, public financial management, the ease of doing business and asset recovery," Hammond stated.
The statement comes on the opening day of the 12th annual Yalta European Strategy in Ukraine. The conference, aimed at promoting Ukraine's European integration, brings together top European and world diplomats.
Britain will continue to cooperate with the European Union to maintain pressure on Russia through sanctions until Moscow implements its Minsk obligations and "withdraws" from Crimea, the minister said.
Following the reunification of Crimea with Russia in 2014 and an escalation of the Ukrainian crisis later that year, Russia's relations with the West deteriorated. The reunification sparked international controversy, with Kiev and a number of Western states labeling the process an "annexation" and refusing to recognize the referendum in which 96 percent of Crimeans voted in favor of the realignment.
The West blamed Russia of violating Ukraine's territorial integrity and interfering with Ukraine's internal affairs and, as a punitive measure, imposed several rounds of sanctions against Moscow.
Moscow has repeatedly pointed out that the referendum was held in accordance with international law, underscoring that sanctions are counterproductive and hurt both sides.
For what it's worth, the British and German royal families are related and this nazi nonsense has been in the family for a couple of generations. Not good form to give up on the in-laws.
[Link]