Aug. 19—The press director of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova released the following commentary Aug. 18 in connection with the statements of British officials on the Ukrainian conflict, as translated from the Russian original:

“Against the backdrop of the genuine desire demonstrated by the leadership of Russia and the United States in Anchorage for a comprehensive, fair and sustainable settlement of the conflict around Ukraine, including, among other things, the eradication of its root causes, statements continue to pour out of London that are not only dissonant with the efforts of Moscow and Washington, but are also clearly aimed at undermining them.

“Thus, in a joint statement on Aug, 17 following their latest online meeting, the ‘coalition of the willing’ chaired by British Prime Minister K. Starmer and French President E. Macron revived the obviously unviable idea of deploying a Western military contingent in Ukraine if an agreement on a ceasefire is reached. In turn, on August 15, British Defense Minister J. Healey directly stated that Albion was ready to send troops to Ukraine to support the ceasefire when it comes into force.

“The role of the British in fueling the conflict in Ukraine is well known. And before the start of the SVO, London did not hide the fact that they viewed this country exclusively as a geopolitical instrument aimed against Russia. For a number of years, Great Britain has been trying to demonstrate leadership on the issue of supporting the Ukrainian puppet regime and mobilizing foreign aid to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. By encouraging their protégés in Kiev, the British are firmly holding them on a Euro-Atlantic and anti-Russian course, which is deadly for the people of Ukraine. London is obsessed with the desire to constantly raise the stakes in the conflict and is pushing its NATO partners to a dangerous brink, beyond which a new global conflict is not far away….

“These bellicose tirades, which de facto are a cynical incitement to continue military actions, only confirm that London is not interested in resolving the situation but is doing everything possible to prolong the bloodshed. With their policy, the British simply do not leave Kiev a chance to get out of the conflict through negotiations, and out of habit, arrogantly and self-confidently prolong the suffering of the Ukrainian people.

“It is unlikely that the authorities of Great Britain, which has long since left the ‘first league’ of world politics, are capable of realizing the full burden of responsibility that they are arbitrarily taking upon themselves, as well as the potentially catastrophic consequences of the destructive policy they have chosen for international and regional security. In this regard, we call on London to abandon risky and ill-considered geopolitical gambits, and, at the very least, not to interfere with the painstaking work of Russian and American negotiators.”