No UK Military Response if Russian Troops Enter Ukraine - Report
16:32 28/04/2014
MOSCOW, April 28 (RIA Novosti) – The UK will not use its armed forces if Russian troops become involved in the conflict in Ukraine, The Daily Mirror reported citing senior government officials.
The newspaper cited British Defense Secretary Philip Hammond as secretly telling military commanders that British troops "would not go into battle to help save Ukraine if Russia invaded."
The tabloid also cited a source who said "Britain failing to take part in military intervention in Ukraine would not affect our world standing."
"This is an astonishing stance – especially since publicly the government wants Russia to fear a robust response from Britain if sanctions don't stop Vladimir Putin," the same source also told the Mirror.
The newspaper said the move meant the UK has failed to honor a 1994 agreement to assure Ukraine's security in exchange for it giving up nuclear weapons. Ukraine joined the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty as a non-nuclear weapon state on December 5, 1994. The agreement also provides for guarantees of Ukraine's security and sovereignty.
Ukraine saw a coup d'état in February with a large portion of its population refusing to recognize the legitimacy of the new government. On March 16, the region of Crimea held a referendum on reunification with Russia where over 96 percent of voters supported integration.
The West has condemned the referendum and imposed sanctions on Russia, with a number of officials calling to tighten them further. Moscow has insisted that involvement in Ukraine contradicts Russia's national interests.
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