Ukraine news – live: Russia sanctions James Cleverly over war as German defence minister resigns
Russia has sanctioned British foreign secretary James Cleverly in a punitive move over the Ukraine war and asked the top official about why he has supported “neo-Nazism” and the Kyiv administration run by Volodymyr Zelensky.
“Dear James, you don’t understand. This is for the anti-Russian course and personal sanctions. But you still have to answer for the support of the Kyiv regime and neo-Nazism,” Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said yesterday.
The British official, who will hold diplomatic talks with his US and Canadian counterparts starting today to rally more support for Ukraine, confirmed that he has been targeted by Moscow, and added that if that were the price to be paid for supporting the war-hit nation, then he was happy to be sanctioned.
This comes as German defence minister Christine Lambrecht resigned from chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government yesterday amid rising discontent on her ability to revive Germany’s armed forces with the war playing out in Europe.
Russia has warned that any Challenger 2 tanks that Britain sends to Ukraine to help the war effort “will burn”.
