Russia threatens Britain with a "quasi-military" move

Moscow threatened London with a “quasi-military move” and affirmed its rejection of deploying Western military forces in Ukraine. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stressed that deploying NATO units in Ukraine is “absolutely unacceptable.” Peskov’s remarks came in response to statements by British Prime Minister Andy Burnham in Kyiv, in which he said that the “coalition of the willing” would conduct training to prepare units for deployment in Ukraine after reaching a ceasefire agreement. Peskov’s tone carried a direct threat to Britain, against the backdrop of Moscow’s strong opposition to London’s plans to transfer technology for producing “Scalp” missiles to Kyiv. Former Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Fedorov said he could not “rule out the possibility” of carrying out a “quasi-military” move against Britain. Fedorov added: “Sooner or later, there may be a Russian response to the United Kingdom, not just in words, but perhaps also in tangible actions.” Meanwhile, US media reported that Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director John Ratcliffe visited Moscow, following flight-tracking data showing a US military aircraft heading to the Russian capital. CBS News cited sources confirming Ratcliffe’s visit, noting that it was his first trip to Russia in his capacity as CIA director.