Moscow’s ambassador to London, Andrei Kelin, has accused the UK of waging a “proxy war” against Russia, while predicting the “end of Ukraine” as Russian forces continue their advances.
In an interview with the BBC, Kelin claimed Ukraine’s resistance is weakening, with Russian troops gaining ground daily.
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“The end of this phase will mean the end of Ukraine,” Kelin said, as Russia now controls about 18% of Ukrainian territory.
“If Zelensky won’t negotiate with us, fine. He will lose more and more terrain,” Kelin added.
This comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky outlined a “victory plan” aimed at bringing the war to an end next year. The plan calls for Ukraine’s formal inclusion in NATO and the lifting of restrictions on long-range strikes deep into Russian territory using Western-supplied weapons.
Kelin also accused the UK of contributing to the war by supplying weapons, which he said were being used “to kill Russian soldiers and civilians.”
Despite Russia’s illegal invasion and the war’s current stalemate, Kelin accused Zelensky of rejecting peace efforts.
“He does not want peace… he continues to ask for more: NATO, EU assistance, defense packages—anything, but nothing about negotiations at all,” Kelin said.
Kyiv has consistently refused negotiations, arguing that talks would lead to the permanent loss of Ukrainian territory.
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Western governments, meanwhile, believe Russian President Vladimir Putin is facing rising pressure at home due to mounting casualties and the war’s financial burden. Yet Kelin dismissed these concerns, insisting that Russia is living an “absolutely normal life.”
When asked if the human suffering caused by the conflict troubled him, Kelin responded, “No one likes the war,” but said it could end if Western countries stopped supplying arms to Ukraine.
“We are not just going to say, OK, [from] tomorrow we do not shoot each other. We won’t.”
Following last week’s public revelation of the “victory plan,” calling for bolstered Western support, the Kremlin stated it was “some ephemeral peace plan.”
“The only peace plan there can be is for the Kyiv regime to realize the futility of the policy it is pursuing and understand the need to sober up,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.
