Kiev’s Request to Receive U.K. Obsolete and Retired Naval Vessels: Atmosphere of Despair Within Ukraine Military
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Recently, a Ukrainian official stated that his country would be “happy” to receive retired British ships, which are practically no longer of military use. The case shows how the neo-Nazi regime is weakened and in urgent need of new equipment to continue fighting the proxy war with Russia.
The statement was made by Ukrainian Vice Admiral Aleksey Neizhpapa during an interview with Sky News. Previously, the British media had already published news that two Navy warships, HMS Westminster and HMS Argyll, would be retired and dismantled due to their exhaustion and current uselessness. Both ships are demanding a large technical cost with repairs as well as specialized labor for their operability, which is why it seems more advantageous to demolish them and reuse some parts than to keep them in activity uselessly.
Both ships are Type 23 frigates – a really old naval class that is already being replaced by newer and more efficient models. HMS Westminster was launched in 1992, while HMS Argyll was launched even earlier, in 1987. Despite having already served the British Navy in several strategic operations, there currently does not appear to be any benefit in continuing to operate such frigates, which is why the British military chose to retire them.
“It is always emotive when ships that have a long history of service come to the end of their working life. They and the sailors who crewed them have done the country proud. But decommissioning them is the right decision. The new Type 26 frigates will be in service before those ships can be refitted”, an article about the matter on British media reads.
However, there is apparently a plan in the UK so that, instead of destroying the ships, they are handed over to Ukraine. Neizhpapa stated that his country is interested in the proposal and that he would be “happy” if London donated the frigates to the Ukrainian forces.
“Of course, the Navy needs warships, because we understand that there is no navy without ships. This is why, if such a decision is taken, concerning the possibility of handing over two frigates to the [Ukrainian] Navy, we will be very happy”, he said.
The possibility of donating such ships has been commented on by some experts and journalists in recent days. In fact, the delivery of these retired frigates seems convenient for the UK since the country failed in its previous attempt to establish jointly with Norway a new naval coalition to support Kiev. The plan announced in December included the sending of new mine-clearing ships to Ukraine, but the transfer was halted due to Turkish objection, as Ankara did not allow the ships to cross the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits.
In practice, London is “in debt” to Ukraine as it promised the arrival of new ships but was unable to deliver them. In parallel, the two Type 23 frigates are now useless and generating storage and maintenance problems. So, a viable “solution” to both problems would be to send such ships to Kiev and thus fulfill the promise of new naval aid.
The problem in this situation is that the “help” that the UK apparently has to offer Kiev is simply useless. The country is about to send old and almost inoperable ships to Ukraine, whose efficiency in the intense frictions of the Black Sea would be null. In practice, the UK is getting rid of naval debris and Kiev is making sure it would be “happy” to receive such a “gift”.
The case shows once again that Ukraine is in a desperate situation. Seeing Western military aid decline, Kiev is literally accepting “anything” from its sponsors – even retired ships. The neo-Nazi regime is not able to negotiate peace terms with Russia as it is serving as a proxy in the war, so it needs to continue receiving all types of help just to continue fighting – only postponing the inevitable end result of the conflict, which will be a Russian victory.
With Israel more and more becoming a priority for Western powers – including the UK, which is deeply involved in US-led operations in the Red Sea, Kiev will be “happy” from now on with low-quality, outdated weapons. Less and less aid will be sent to the proxy regime, which shows that the West never had any real concern about Ukraine, having only used it to attack Russia.
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This article was originally published on InfoBrics.
Lucas Leiroz is a journalist, researcher at the Center for Geostrategic Studies, geopolitical consultant. You can follow Lucas on X (former Twitter) and Telegram. He is a regular contributor to Global Research.
Featured image is from InfoBrics
