Russia is 16 times bigger, we haven’t started yet..
Putin ambassador’s threat hours after major drone blitz
RUSSIA’S ambassador to Britain yesterday claimed the war with Ukraine was only just beginning.
Andrei Kelin spoke out hours after Vladimir Putin’s forces launched a major drone attack on Kyiv.
He insisted Russia would win, saying: “It’s a big idealistic mistake to think Ukraine may prevail.
“Russia is 16 times bigger than Ukraine – we have enormous resources. We haven’t started yet to act very seriously.”
He accused the UK of escalating the 15-month conflict by supplying long-range missiles to Kyiv and helping it to get more fighter jets.
Mr Kelin, appointed as Russian leader Putin’s London mouthpiece in 2019, also took a swipe at other NATO countries for giving military hardware to Volodymyr Zelensky.
In the latest sinister diplomatic salvo from the Kremlin, he told BBC1’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg: “Sooner or later this escalation may get a new dimension which we do not need and we do not want.”
But he added: “We can make peace
Sooner or later this escalation may get a new dimension which we do not need or want
ANDREI KELIN RUSSIA’S AMBASSADOR TO BRITAIN
tomorrow if Ukrainians say they will be prepared to negotiate.” Mr Kelin then threatened to stop the interview because of Ms Kuenssberg’s tough questioning.
She had told him: “It’s remarkable that you are happy to repeat claims that have been disproven.
“You’re happy to try to deflect questions, to mislead our audience about the truth. Maybe you’re even lying to yourself about what is really going on.”
He hit back: “If you try to offend me once again we’ll stop this interview.
“I am not misleading you, I am just telling you our side of this story.”
The clash, at Mr Kelin’s official residence in London’s Kensington Palace Gardens – known as “Billionaires’ Row” – came after Ukraine’s capital was bombarded for five hours by Iranian-made drones. Ukraine’s air force said the number of Shahed drone attacks across the country early yesterday was the biggest of the conflict. It added it downed 52 of 54.
Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said a man aged 41 was killed and a woman aged 35 was injured when debris fell on a building and started a fire.
Yesterday was Kyiv Day, marking the 1,541st anniversary of the city’s official founding. Military official Serhii Popko said: “Today, the enemy decided to ‘congratulate’ the people of Kyiv on Kyiv Day.”
In Kharkiv province, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said shelling killed a woman and a man.