LETTER: Comparison by Russian embassy is absurd
Wales is part of the UK but Ukraine is not part of Russia
A letter to Business Day from the Russian embassy sought to compare the relationship between Britain and Wales with that between Ukraine and Russia (“Allegations against Russia”, January 27).
There is of course a fundamental difference between them — Wales is a part of the UK, while Ukraine is not part of Russia. It is an independent country, which Russia invaded in 2014 when it illegally annexed Crimea.
Russia itself recognised the sovereignty of Ukraine and guaranteed its territorial integrity when signing the Budapest Memorandum in 1994, and its Friendship Treaty with Ukraine in 1997.
As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, Russia also has an important responsibility to uphold the principles of the UN Charter, which include the prevention of conflict and the removal of threats to peace.
The simple fact is that Ukraine has the right to decide its own future, without the threat of further invasion from Russia. As my prime minister has said, we stand ready, as we always have, to address any legitimate Russian concerns through honest diplomacy.
In the meantime, Russia should show it is a responsible member of the international community by stopping its unacceptable build-up of military troops on Ukraine’s border.
Antony Phillipson
British high commissioner to SA
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