Latest news with #proxywar
Russia Today
4 days ago
- Business
- Russia Today
Ukraine conflict a NATO ‘proxy war'
Russian President Vladimir Putin is right in considering the Ukraine conflict a proxy war against Russia, US President Donald Trump's special envoy Keith Kellogg told Fox News in an interview on Sunday. He said that while he believes the peace process will ultimately succeed, 'escalatory issues' remain. Kellogg referred to comments by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who last month indicated that Berlin would be open to supplying Kiev with Taurus cruise missiles. Kellogg addressed Russian President Vladimir Putin's perspective, saying 'he considers this a proxy war by NATO. And frankly… in a way it is.' 'The escalatory issues are still there,' Kellogg said. 'Chancellor Merz has said: well, I'm going to give the Ukrainians the Taurus missile system.' The German cruise missiles have a range of roughly 300 miles (482 km), which can allow Ukrainian strikes to reach deep into Russian territory, Kellog said. He added that Putin has made it clear: if such weapons are supplied to Ukraine, Russia will regard the suppliers as a party to the conflict. 'He considers this a proxy war by NATO. And frankly… in a way it is.' Russia can clearly see the other Western military support Ukraine is receiving, Kellogg added. 'Everybody has got to be willing to step back a bit,' and compromise, to get the peace process 'to an end state,' the envoy said. Last week, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that Merz's 'provocative' statements 'hinder peaceful efforts.' Moscow has stressed that any Ukrainian use of German Taurus missiles against Russian territory will be viewed as Berlin's direct involvement in the Ukraine conflict, as the armaments' use is impossible without the participation of Bundeswehr service members. Last year, after Trump's predecessor Joe Biden allowed the use of US ATACMS ballistic missiles in long-range strikes on Russian territory, Moscow retaliated by revamping its strategic doctrine and lowering the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons. Russia now considers any strike by a non-nuclear state backed up by a nuclear one as a joint attack. Both Kellogg and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio have previously characterized the conflict as a proxy war. 'Frankly, it's a proxy war between nuclear powers – the United States, helping Ukraine, and Russia,' Rubio said in March, noting that the current White House administration is eager to see it end. Moscow has long designated the Ukraine conflict as a Western proxy war against Russia and repeatedly condemned arms supplies to Kiev as counterproductive to the peace process.
Russia Today
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Israel and Ukraine fighting ‘proxy wars' for the West
Israel's military operation against Hamas is a 'proxy war' being waged on behalf of the UK, Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has claimed in an interview with Sky News. Badenoch made the remarks on Sunday, commenting on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's recent statement that the UK, France, and Canada are on 'the wrong side of humanity' for trying to pressure his country to end its campaign in the Palestinian enclave. The Tory leader dismissed accusations that Israel's actions in Gaza amount to genocide, arguing that it is justified in its fight against Hamas, and that the conflict also serves the interests of the UK. 'Who funds Hamas? Iran – an enemy of this country. Israel is fighting a proxy war on behalf of the UK,' Badenoch said. She went on to say that the Ukraine conflict is similarly a proxy war against Russia being waged on behalf of Western Europe. The Russian Embassy in London later reposted a clip of Badenoch's interview, saying the Conservative leader has 'finally called a spade a spade.' 'Ukraine is indeed fighting a proxy-war against Russia on behalf of Western interests. The illegitimate Kiev regime, created, financed and armed by the West, has been at it since 2014,' the embassy wrote on Facebook. It went on to say that Badenoch's own party was responsible for telling the Ukrainians to 'keep fighting' when a potential peace settlement was on the verge of being signed in 2022. 'The result has been an unmitigated disaster for Ukraine and its people, as well as an unprecedented security crisis in Europe.' In March, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio made a similar admission when he said the Ukraine conflict is in fact a 'proxy war between nuclear powers – the United States, helping Ukraine – and Russia.' Throughout the conflict, Moscow has repeatedly described the hostilities as a Western-led proxy war against Russia in which Ukrainians are being used as 'cannon fodder.' Russian officials have argued that the US and other Western powers intentionally escalated tensions in the region by disregarding Russia's national security concerns over NATO expansion in Eastern Europe and Ukraine's potential admission into the military bloc. Earlier this month, President Vladimir Putin said Russia is currently standing alone against the Collective West and is locked in an 'existential war.'
The Independent
26-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Russia seizes on Badenoch's claim Ukraine is fighting a ‘proxy war' on behalf of Western Europe
Russia has seized on comments by the Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch that Ukraine is fighting a 'proxy war' on behalf of Western Europe. Russia's embassy in London shared a clip of Ms Badenoch, claiming she had 'called a spade a spade'. The Kremlin has long tried to justify its invasion of Ukraine by claiming Nato is using the country as a proxy for war. In an interview with Sky News on Sunday the Tory leader also claimed Israel is fighting a 'proxy war on behalf of the UK' in Gaza against Hamas. She said: 'Israel is fighting a proxy war on behalf of the UK, just like Ukraine is on behalf of western Europe against Russia. We have to get serious.' A clip of the interview was later shared by the Facebook account of Russia's London. Embassy, and a spokesman wrote: 'Ukraine is indeed fighting a proxy war against Russia on behalf of Western interests. The illegitimate Kyiv regime, created, financed and armed by the West, has been at it since 2014. 'Remember, Kemi Badenoch hails from the same Conservative Party whose former leader and prime minister Boris Johnson, when peace was at hand, went to Kyiv and told the Ukrainians to 'just fight'.' The post was later shared by Russia's foreign ministry. Last October, Andrei Kelin, Russia's ambassador to the UK, came under fire when he claimed the war in Ukraine was a 'proxy war led by the United Kingdom's government'. Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, also triggered outrage when he told the BBC in the run up to last year's election that the West 'provoked' the invasion with the expansion of Nato and the European Union. At the time James Cleverly, the Tory former home secretary, said he was echoing the Russian leader's 'vile justification' for the war. A spokesman for Mrs Badenoch said that Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky and the people of Ukraine were 'fighting for democracy and against Putin's aggressive fascism'. He told the Telegraph, which first reported the story: 'Kemi is proud of the support the Conservative Party has shown for President Zelensky and the people of Ukraine, who are fighting for democracy and against Putin's aggressive fascism. 'Everyone in the UK should be very careful about promoting or repeating Russian propaganda that seeks to undermine Ukraine's cause.'
Telegraph
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Kremlin seizes on Badenoch's Ukraine ‘proxy war' comments
The Kremlin has seized on comments by Kemi Badenoch about Russia's invasion of Ukraine after she called the conflict a 'proxy war' with Kyiv fighting on behalf of Western Europe. The Tory leader told Sky News on Sunday that Sir Keir Starmer should stand with Israel against Hamas in the war in Gaza, in the same way that Britain supported Ukraine. Mrs Badenoch said: 'Who funds Hamas? Iran, an enemy of this country. Israel is fighting a proxy war on behalf of the UK, just like Ukraine is on behalf of Western Europe against Russia. We have to get serious.' A clip of the interview was later shared by the Facebook account of Russia's embassy in London, which said the Conservative leader had 'called a spade a spade'. A spokesman wrote: 'Ukraine is indeed fighting a proxy war against Russia on behalf of Western interests. The illegitimate Kyiv regime, created, financed and armed by the West, has been at it since 2014. 'Remember, Kemi Badenoch hails from the same Conservative Party whose former leader and prime minister Boris Johnson, when peace was at hand, went to Kyiv and told the Ukrainians to 'just fight'.' The post was later shared by the social media account of Russia's foreign ministry, which is headed by Sergei Lavrov. A spokesman for Mrs Badenoch said that Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine's president, and the people of Ukraine were 'fighting for democracy and against Putin's aggressive fascism'. Describing the war in Ukraine as a 'proxy war' for the West echoes the language used by the Kremlin in its attempt to justify Moscow's illegal invasion of the country. Last October, Andrei Kelin, Russia's ambassador to the UK, came under fire after claiming that the war in Ukraine was a 'proxy war led by the United Kingdom's Government'. Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, has also been targeted by political rivals over comments about Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, and the war in Ukraine. Before the general election last year, Mr Farage told the BBC that the West 'provoked' the invasion as a result of the eastward expansion of Nato and the European Union. He said that 'of course' the war in Ukraine was the fault of Putin, but that the expansion of the alliances gave him a 'reason' to tell the Russian people 'they're coming for us again'. Mr Farage was widely condemned by Conservative figures for the remarks, including by James Cleverly, the former home secretary, who said he was echoing the Russian president's 'vile justification' for the war. Labour has also repeatedly attacked Mr Farage over his stance on Russia as part of the party's attempts to see off the threat from his Reform UK party. A spokesman for Mrs Badenoch said: 'Kemi is proud of the support the Conservative Party has shown for President Zelensky and the people of Ukraine, who are fighting for democracy and against Putin's aggressive fascism. 'Everyone in the UK should be very careful about promoting or repeating Russian propaganda that seeks to undermine Ukraine's cause.'
