Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Johnson vows to stop UK exports to India ending up in Russia

Johnson vows to stop UK exports to India ending up in Russia

PM says he will close loopholes that allow components to be smuggled via India for use by Russian military
Boris Johnson has said he will close loopholes to ensure UK exports to India cannot end up being used in Russian weapons, as he conceded the war in Ukraine could go on until the end of next year, and Russia could win.

Speaking in Delhi at the end of a two-day visit, the UK prime minister warned that Vladimir Putin was resorting to a “grinding approach” in Ukraine; and suggested the UK would help to “backfill” countries including Poland if they provided heavy weaponry such as tanks to Kyiv.

Johnson was asked a report by the Royal United Services Institute (Rusi), warning that India was one of a number of major routes for smuggling arms to Vladimir Putin’s regime.

He pointed to the ban on exporting technology products to Russia, saying: “We want to ensure we keep that tight. We’ll be making sure that we don’t allow any loopholes of any kind … we will take steps to make sure that stuff doesn’t go through other routes to Russia.”

Hours before the Rusi analysis was published, the government announced it would ease arms exporting licensing arrangements with New Delhi by issuing an open general export licence to India, hailing closer defence cooperation as one of the wins from the prime minister’s two-day trip.

The report from Rusi, a 26-page overview of Russia’s military situation, says western economic sanctions mean Moscow will become increasingly reliant on component-smuggling to ensure its jets, missiles and other hi-tech munitions can function. Some components have a dual civilian and military use.

Its authors, Jack Watling and Nick Reynolds, warn that “Russia has established mechanisms for laundering these items through third countries”, and they argue that India should be subject to specific restrictions. “Restricting access, therefore, likely means preventing export to countries such as India of goods that are in some instances used for civilian purposes,” the two write.

They add: “Moreover, there are myriad companies based around the world, including in the Czech Republic, Serbia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Turkey, India and China who will take considerable risks to meet Russia supply requirements.”

Labour’s shadow defence secretary, John Healey, accused Johnson of going on “a vanity trip”, and urged him to do more to press India to clamp down on exports that could be used in defence.

Boris Johnson’s vanity trip to India was designed to distract from his law-breaking and failure to tackle the cost-of-living crisis. But he can use this report to help halt the Russian war in Ukraine. He must press for urgent action from prime minister Modi to clamp down on weapons parts passing through India and into Russian hands,” he said.

Asked about briefings from western intelligence figures suggesting the Ukraine conflict could go on for many more months, and may result in a Russian victory, Johnson said: “The sad thing is that that is a realistic possibility.

“Of course, Putin has a huge army. He has a very difficult political position because he’s made a catastrophic blunder, so that the only option he now has really is to try to use his appalling, grinding approach, led by artillery, trying to grind the Ukrainians down.”

Johnson said Putin was close to securing Mariupol – but he paid tribute to the resistance of Ukrainians: “No matter what military superiority Vladimir Putin may be able to bring to bear in the next few months – and I agree it could be a long period – he will not be able to conquer the spirit of the Ukrainian people.”

He announced that the UK would reopen its embassy in Kyiv next week, and suggested more ministers could follow his lead and visit the Ukrainian capital in the coming weeks.

And he suggested the UK could send weaponry to neighbouring countries who could provide Ukraine with arms. “We are looking at sending to tanks to Poland to try to help them as they send some of their T72s [tanks] to Ukraine,” he said.

An MOD spokesperson clarified the remarks on Friday evening, saying: “As announced by the prime minister, the UK is currently exploring sending British Challenger 2 tanks to Poland. While no decisions have been taken, these would be deployed on a short-term basis and operated by UK service personnel to bridge the gap between Poland donating tanks to Ukraine, and replacements arriving.”

Johnson discussed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine with Modi when the pair held bilateral talks on Friday morning.

India’s foreign secretary, Harsh Vardhan Shringla, told reporters Johnson put “no pressure” on Modi over the issue.

Delivering a statement alongside Johnson on Friday, Modi called for an “immediate ceasefire” in Ukraine, and emphasised the importance of diplomacy, but did not criticise Russia, which is India’s biggest supplier of arms.

India has abstained from successive United Nations motions condemning Russia, and continues to buy Moscow’s oil.

The Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, met Modi in Delhi this month, and insisted the two countries would continue to find ways to trade, despite western sanctions on Russia.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
Tulsi Gabbard Unveils Evidence Alleging Political Manipulation of Intelligence During Trump Administration
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Trump Announces Coca-Cola to Shift to Cane Sugar in U.S. Production
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
Moonshot AI Unveils Kimi K2: A New Open-Source AI Model
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
×