London talks to Kyiv, not Moscow over release
The British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is “shocked” by the death sentences two British by pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine, Downing Street reported today, saying London was working with Kyiv to secure their release.
“The prime minister is shocked by the condemnation of these men,” a spokesman for the British prime minister told reporters, adding that London “supports Ukraine in its efforts to secure their release”.
As he stressed, London gives priority to talks with Ukraine and not with Russia on the situation of two British detainees sentenced to death by a court of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) in eastern Ukraine, a spokesman for Prime Minister Boris Johnson said today.
“They are protected under the Geneva Convention as members of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, so we want to continue to work closely with them to try to free them as soon as possible.”
The two Britons, o Eden Ashlin and Sean Piner, as well as Moroccan Saadoun Brahim, found guilty of “mercenary activities and of committing acts aimed at seizing power and overthrowing the constitutional order” in the DPR.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs Liz Tras sentenced imposed on the two Britons talking about a blatant violation of the Geneva Convention and raised the issue with Ukrainian counterpart Dmitry Kuleba in a telephone conversation they had today.
The two ministers “discussed efforts to ensure the release of prisoners held by pro-Russians. “The decision against them is a blatant violation of the Geneva Convention,” she said in a Twitter post.
Asked if London would talk to Moscow to secure their release, Johnson’s spokesman said: “We have no regular contact with the Russians.”
Former Conservative MP Robert Jenrik, who represents Aslin’s constituency, has called on the Foreign Office to invite the Russian ambassador to the United Kingdom.
“You can not treat British citizens in this completely outrageous way,” he told the BBC, adding that Ukraine had assured him that Aslin and Piner would be released as a matter of priority during the Kiev-Moscow prisoner exchange.
Britain does not recognize the DPR and the Ukrainian government has no control over the separatist parts of eastern Ukraine.
The Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that the two Britons and the Moroccan committed crimes in the territory of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic.
A senior Ukrainian official stressed that Moscow wants to use the three these aliens as “hostages” to put pressure on the West in peace negotiations.
