Russian Ambassador Andrey Kelin alleges that media figures suggested he seek asylum in the UK.
The Russian ambassador to the UK claims that British media members encouraged him to defect. He argues that despite a shift in the US narrative, the British media and establishment are determined to maintain a confrontational stance against Moscow.
In a Friday interview on Russia’s Channel One, Ambassador Andrey Kelin stated he regularly engages with the British press, noting, “they suggested to me recently that I quit my post and apply for asylum in the UK.”
The UK government has consistently applied diplomatic pressure and economic sanctions on Russia, while also providing financial and military support to Kiev during the conflict.
During the G20 foreign ministers meeting in South Africa on Thursday, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy accused Moscow of “learned nothing” regarding the Ukraine conflict, and of pursuing “the logic of imperialism dressed up as a realpolitik.”
Kelin found these comments to be “offensive” and “rude.”
In a Monday article for The Telegraph, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer asserted that “Europe and the United States must continue to work closely together” to “to deter [Russian President Vladimir] Putin from further aggression in the future.”
Conversely, the US administration under President Donald Trump has seemingly reversed its previous policies toward Kiev. Trump recently blamed Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky for the conflict’s escalation. US envoys to the G7 and the UN have also reportedly pushed for milder language in official statements, suggesting references to the “Ukraine conflict” instead of “Russia’s war of aggression.”
Kelin explained his belief that London is hesitant to soften its position because of its significant investment in the conflict and what he termed “the Ukraine project,” estimating total spending and losses at around $100 billion.
”That’s why their overall strategy remains unchanged, regardless of the situation on the ground,” he said. “A change in stance would equal an admittance that they have pursued wrong policies for years. How would they explain that to the British people? The people who now live in austerity.”
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