Johnson Vows Russian ‘Bear’ Won’t Deter U.K. After Navy Spat
- U.K. says it will continue voyages in contested Crimea waters
- Tensions come as U.S., Europe seek rapprochement with Russia
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Prime Minister Boris Johnson defended the U.K.’s armed confrontation with Russia in the Black Sea, dismissing Moscow’s protests as London vowed to continue to exercise its right to enter disputed waters off Crimea.
“I think it was wholly appropriate to use international waters,” Johnson told reporters at a military base in Hampshire on Thursday, declining to say whether he’d personally approved the route of the British destroyer. “The important point is that we don’t recognize the Russian annexation of Crimea.” Asked for his reaction to Russia saying the U.K. lied over the incident, he replied: “They’re the bear.”