Russia has issued a stark ultimatum to Britain to halt all military training for Ukrainian troops and stop arms supplies as a condition for ending the ongoing war.
The demand - made by Rodion Miroshnik, special envoy to Vladimir Putin’s foreign ministry - arrives amid heightened tensions across Europe and fears of wider conflict.
Russia Demands End to UK's Ukraine Training Mission
“The participation or complicity of other countries is a key issue that must be stopped in all forms – including weapons deliveries and the training of Ukrainian militants,” said Miroshnik, per the Mirror.
“All of this amounts to direct complicity in the conflict,” he added, stating that “halting these programmes would be a signal of willingness to seek a resolution.”
He made the statements while speaking to the pro-Putin news outlet Izvestia, which has reported: “Currently, two main Western training initiatives are active – the UK’s Operation Interflex and the EU’s EUMAM mission.” The initiatives have reportedly trained up to 130,000 Ukrainian troops.
Miroshnik, then said of the UK: "In practice, they are participating in the killing of our citizens while simultaneously coordinating terrorist attacks by the Kyiv regime on Russian territory."
Russia Issues Warning Amid Intensified Strikes in Ukraine
The ultimatum follows a weekend of the most intense aerial onslaught in Ukraine since the conflict began, with 537 strikes by Russian forces.
This included the downing of an F-16 warplane and the death of pilot Lt Col Maksym Ustymenko, who was posthumously awarded the Hero of Ukraine honour by President Volodymyr Zelensky for “defending our people from yet another massive Russian attack.”
“He mastered four types of aircraft, and his record includes truly significant achievements for Ukraine. Losing people like him is deeply painful,” President Zelensky said in a statement.
Russia Accuses UK and NATO of Fueling the War
Russia has consistently blamed the UK for contributing to strikes and prolonging the conflict by supporting Ukraine.
Hardliner Konstantin Kosachev, deputy speaker of the Russian Federation Council, echoed Miroshnik’s demands, stating, per the Express: “Any aid that helps Ukraine continue fighting or preparing terrorist operations clearly does not promote conflict resolution,” adding, “It is unequivocally hostile to Russia. That is how we classify it.”
Kosachev accused London and Brussels of rejecting compromise: “This is a clear campaign against everything Russian – a full display of militarism. I would also add that it shows a desire to shackle the Kyiv government and Ukrainian citizens into tools for achieving British and, in this case, NATO strategic aims.”
He claimed: “Ukrainians no longer have agency. Moscow’s dialogue with London and Brussels has been cut off, and the EU and NATO show no intention of resuming it.”
Oleg Karpovich, Vice-Rector of the Diplomatic Academy in Moscow, added: “In practice, they are participating in the killing of our citizens while simultaneously co-ordinating terrorist attacks by the Kyiv regime on Russian territory.”
Trump Signals Potential Sanctions Against Russia
The Russian demand comes amid signs that US President Donald Trump is prepared to impose tough sanctions on Moscow over its refusal to end the war.
US Senator Lindsey Graham, speaking to ABC News, stated: “For the first time yesterday, President told me… I was playing golf with him. He says, it's time to move your bill. There's a waiver in the bill, Mr. President. You're in charge of whether or not it's to be implemented. But we're going to give President Trump a tool in the toolbox," adding, "Yes, I think we're in good shape... But he has a waiver. It's up to him how to impose it."
Graham explained the potential measures, saying: “If you're buying products from Russia and you're not helping Ukraine, then there's a 500 percent tariff on your products coming into the United States. India and China buy 70 percent of Putin's oil. They keep his war machine going.
"My bill has 84 co-sponsors. It would allow the president to put tariffs on China and India and other countries to stop from supporting Putin's war machine to get him to the [negotiating] table."
Meanwhile, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky inspected Ukrainian troops undergoing training in Britain under Operation Interflex last week, in yet another sign of British support for the nation.
That being said, a newly released national security strategy urges the people of the UK: "We are in an era in which we face confrontation with those who are threatening our security. The most obvious and pressing example of this is Russia in its illegal war against a European neighbour.
“Meanwhile, some adversaries are laying the foundations for future conflict, positioning themselves to move quickly to cause major disruption to our energy and or supply chains, to deter us from standing up to their aggression.”