Accusations from Russia

Russia has labeled Grant Shapps, the British Minister of Defence, a "newly-minted cretin" and accused him of attempting to ignite World War Three. Dmitri Medvedev, a close ally of Putin's and former Russian president, criticized Shapps for suggesting that the UK would send British troops to Ukraine, a move that Russia sees as a dangerous escalation of support.

Sharp Criticism on Social Media

The criticism from Medvedev came in the form of a social media rant on the platform Telegram. He expressed his outrage, stating, "One newly minted cretin – the British Minister of Defence – decided to transfer British training courses for Ukrainian soldiers to the territory of Ukraine itself." Medvedev's comments also implied that any British troops in Ukraine would face severe consequences.

UK's Response

Rishi Sunak, who recently appointed Shapps as the Defence Secretary, quickly refuted the accusations. Sunak clarified that Shapps was discussing the possibility of training Ukrainian soldiers in Ukraine in the future, not currently sending British troops to fight in the ongoing conflict. Sunak emphasized that the UK is currently training Ukrainians in the UK itself and has no plans to deploy soldiers to the conflict zone.

No NATO Troop Deployment

All NATO countries, including the UK, have refrained from sending troops to Ukraine to avoid being entangled in the war.

Blow to Ukrainian Support

In a setback for Ukrainian support, President Biden recently signed off on a funding bill that removed billions of dollars in proposed financial aid for Ukraine. This decision comes just nine days after Ukrainian President Zelensky's visit to Washington, where he pleaded for continued US support.

European Involvement

A leaked document from Kyiv revealed that Iranian kamikaze drones used in attacks on Ukrainian cities contained components manufactured in Europe. The document identified five European companies, including a Polish subsidiary of a British multinational company, as the original manufacturers of these parts.

UK's Training Efforts

Since the beginning of the conflict, the UK has trained over 20,000 members of the Ukrainian armed forces through the British operation Interflex. This number is expected to surpass 30,000 by the end of the year.