Monday, July 22, 2019

UK Defence Minister: Royal Navy Not Strong Enough to 'Play Role on International Stage'

I think the Kremlin, by way of house-organ media, is having a bit of fun at the expense of the West.
First up, the headline story from Sputnik:
16:31 22.07.2019
He spoke following the embarrassing seizure of the British-operated oil tanker, the Stena Impero, by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard in the Persian Gulf for "violating international maritime rules". Whitehall is yet to offer a response to the incident, beyond public condemnation.
Tobias Ellwood, Under-Secretary of State for Defence People and Veterans, has said the Royal Navy is too small to play a role on the international stage.

Speaking to Sky News, Ellwood said with UK vessels going through 100 nautical miles of waterway every day it is "impossible to simply escort each individual vessel", and called for more money to be invested in defence.
"If we want to continue playing a role on the international stage, bearing in mind threats are changing, all happening just beneath the threshold of all-out war, then we must invest more in our defence…Our Royal Navy is too small to manage our interests across the globe if that's our future intentions and that's something the next prime minister will need to recognise,” he said.
Ellwood claimed sanctions on Tehran were a possible response off the table, saying the government was “looking at operational responsibilities from that” and “a series of options”....MORE
Followed by:
18:59 22.07.2019
UK Foreign Secretary Hunt Gives Speech to House of Commons on Iranian-Seized Tanker (Video)
19:03 22.07.2019
FM Jeremy Hunt on UK Tanker Detention by Iran: This Was an Act of State Piracу

And winding up with:
Swedes Dress as Hobos to Ridicule TV Advice to 'Look Poor' to Avoid Getting Mugged

I s'pose from Putin's point of view it does all look a bit paper-tigerish.