The United Kingdom called on countries to combat support for Russia’s military-industrial complex in order to force Moscow to end the war against Ukraine.
This was stated on Thursday at a UN Security Council meeting by Fergus Eckersley, the political coordinator of the UK Permanent Mission.
Ackersley urged the international community to “continue to show that Russia will gain no benefit from its aggression,” and to maintain unwavering support for Ukraine, “including by providing weapons systems.”
“We must vigilantly fight any military-industrial support to Russia, particularly by preventing the export of dual-use goods,” he emphasized.
The diplomat called for demonstrating to Russia “the economic cost of the choices it makes, and denying its militarized state any source of sustenance.”
He reminded that every UN member state bears responsibility for upholding the peace process, which Russia alone rejects.
“As President Trump clearly stated, there is no reason for delay: Russia must immediately take steps toward genuine peace… As President Zelensky said, peace without strength is impossible,” Eckersley added.
He stressed that any diplomatic efforts while missile and drone strikes against Ukraine intensify are a sham.
Ackersley also pointed to the militarization of the Russian economy, which now “largely depends on military-industrial production, with nearly 40% of state spending directed to defense — over 8% of GDP.”
According to the British diplomat, the consequences of Russia’s militarization extend far beyond Ukraine.
“Russia has lost over a million people due to its own war. The wider region is also directly facing the consequences of Russian aggression — and ultimately, so are we all,” he noted.
On Thursday, Russia convened the UN Security Council meeting to discuss “attempts to sabotage” direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.
Russia’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Dmitry Polyansky, traditionally made false accusations against the “Kyiv regime” and its “Western handlers,” claiming they encourage Ukraine’s war efforts while hypocritically calling for peace. Polyansky rejected any possibility of a ceasefire while expressing Russia’s desire to continue diplomatic negotiations in Istanbul and opposed the West’s willingness to strengthen sanctions against Russia.
