UK Foreign Secretary Warned Against Black Sea Provocation

by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org - Home - Stephen Lendman)

A previous article explained that UK HMS Defender's provocative incursion into Russian territorial waters near Crimea was likely signed off on jointly by Biden and Boris Johnson regime hardliners.

Britain most likely wouldn't have illegally entered Russian waters without US approval.

Russia's UK envoy Andrey Kelin called what happened "a deliberate and intentional provocation (with a) clear…goal" in mind, adding:

"(S)imilar incidents took place before, exactly at a moment when some, even the slightest, improvement of relations between Russia and the West was" possible.

Dominant hardliners in both countries reject normalization with Russia.

To unjustifiably justify militarism and near-unlimited spending in pursuing it, invented enemies are needed at a time when no real ones exist.

Demonizing nonbelligerent Russia — and other nations free from US/Western control — is used for this purpose.

Kelin noted that HMS Dragon "committed a similar" provocation last October, "approaching Sevastopol at a certain distance."

At the time, summoned UK war ministry attache "was told that this was a violation of Russian and international law regarding innocent passage," adding: 

He "was warned that such things must not happen again. And, if they do, our reactions would be much harder."

"As for disagreements, the British uphold their (falsified) version." 

"It is mainly based on their non-recognition of Crimea." 

"(O)ne must understand that there is the political position, and then there is the real one." 

"Such things (risk) a major military incident."

In response to last week's HMS Defender provocation, Russia's Defense Ministry justifiably  accused Britain of flagrantly violating the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Britain's claimed "innocent passage through Ukrainian territorial waters" was a bald-faced Big Lie.

According to UK media, Johnson regime's foreign secretary Dominic Raab and war minister Ben Wallace clashed over proceeding with the provocation before it occurred.

Raab reportedly warned against antagonizing Russia. Wallace dismissed the argument.

An unnamed Whitehall source said:

"The whole dispute…between Raab and Wallace…went to the PM for a decision." 

"The decision was sent to Defender on Monday that she was to take innocent passage (sic) through those waters."

Number 10 refused to confirm or deny the above account.

On Thursday, Russia's Deputy  Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said the following:

"What can we do" in response to incidents like the above?

"We can appeal to common sense, demand respect for international law."

"If this does not help, we can bomb not only in the direction but also on target, if (provocative nations) do not understand."

"I warn everyone violating the state borders of the Russian Federation under the slogan of free navigation, from such provocative steps, because the security of our country comes first."

"The territorial integrity of the Russian Federation is inviolable."

"The inviolability of its borders is an absolute imperative."

"We will stand guard over all this by diplomatic, political and if necessary, military means."

Defying reality, Boris Johnson falsely claimed that the HMS Defender provocation was a freedom of navigation maneuver (sic)," adding:

"This is a matter for the (war ministry) but if you want my view…it was wholly appropriate to use international waters (sic)."

"It was entirely right that we should indicate the law and pursue freedom of navigation (sic) in the way that we did, take the shortest route between two points, and that's what we did (sic)."

US, UK and other Western regimes know that Crimea and its territorial waters are sovereign Russian territory.

The Kremlin justifiably accused Britain of a "deliberate…prepared provocation," adding that use of force cannot be ruled out in defense of its territory against a hostile intruder.

Is a similar UK provocation planned against China?

An HMS Queen Elizabeth carrier strike group will head to South China Sea waters later this summer where it doesn't belong.

According to Britain's war ministry, it won't pass through the Taiwan Strait.

Yet HMS Defender broke from Britain's Black Sea strike group in international waters to provocatively enter Russian territory.

Will one or more HMS Queen Elizabeth strike group warships do something similar provocatively as hostile anti-China move ahead?

In April, Johnson regime war minister Wallace said the Queen Elizabeth strike group will sail through South China Sea waters — perhaps with entering what Beijing considers its sovereign territory in mind.

VISIT MY WEBSITE: stephenlendman.org (Home - Stephen Lendman). Contact at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

My two Wall Street books are timely reading:

"How Wall Street Fleeces America: Privatized Banking, Government Collusion, and Class War"

https://www.claritypress.com/product/how-wall-street-fleeces-america/

"Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity"

https://www.claritypress.com/product/banker-occupation-waging-financial-war-on-humanity/

streamingclarity.global