Author: admin

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 30 April 2026.

Ms Nerys Jones has been appointed His Majesty’s Ambassador to Montenegro in succession to Ms Dawn McKen, who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment. Ms Jones will take up her appointment during August 2026.

Curriculum Vitae

Full name: Nerys Heledd Jones

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 30 April 2026.

Ms Dawn McKen has been appointed His Majesty’s Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina in succession to Mr Julian Reilly, who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment. Ms McKen will take up her appointment during August 2026.

Curriculum Vitae

Full name: Dawn McKen

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 30 April 2026.

UK Chargé d’Affaires, Deputy Ambassador James Ford, welcomes the OSCE Mission’s work to facilitate the resumption of in‑person 1+1 meetings, monitoring of the Security Zone and efforts to advance human rights and fundamental freedoms.

Thank you, Acting Head of Mission, for your report and clear presentation today. The United Kingdom continues to strongly support the OSCE Mission’s vital role in Moldova – one that remains all the more important given the continued impact of Russia’s war on Ukraine and the fragile regional security environment.

We particularly welcome your Mission’s work in facilitating the resumption of in‑person 1+1 meetings between the Chief Negotiators of Chisinau and Tiraspol in February and April. These meetings are an important step forward after a prolonged period of stagnation, and underline the importance of sustained, direct dialogue in unlocking meaningful progress. We also note positively the increased activity of the Working Groups, which provide a practical avenue to address issues affecting people’s daily lives.

The UK commends the Mission’s continued monitoring work in the Security Zone. Its impartial presence and rapid response capacity remain critical to preserving stability and reducing the risk of incidents escalating, particularly given the volatile wider security context.

We reiterate our longstanding concern over the continued presence of Russian military forces in Transnistria, which remains inconsistent with Moldova’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. We underline the importance of the full and unconditional withdrawal of these forces and associated ammunition stockpiles, in line with international commitments.

We appreciate the Mission’s efforts to advance human rights and fundamental freedoms, including its engagement on individual cases of detention, on freedom of movement, media access, and access to education. We note the humanitarian progress achieved during the reporting period, while reiterating the importance of upholding OSCE human dimension commitments and resolving outstanding concerns.

We also welcome the Mission’s work to support the implementation of agreed measures under the Berlin‑plus package, which continue to deliver tangible benefits for communities on both banks of the river Nistru. Practical cooperation on issues such as education, vehicle registration and access to land remains essential to building confidence and trust over time.

The UK further recognises the value of the Mission’s project work including on environmental cooperation along the Nistru, as well as healthcare access, gender equality and Holocaust education, all of which demonstrate how cooperation can bring real benefits even in a protracted conflict context.

Looking ahead, the United Kingdom encourages both Chisinau and Tiraspol to build on the renewed momentum, engaging constructively and in good faith in all established formats. We stand ready to continue supporting the Mission in its efforts to facilitate a comprehensive, peaceful and sustainable settlement that fully respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova, within its internationally recognised borders.

Thank you, Mr Chair.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 30 April 2026.

UK Senior Military Advisor, Colonel Joby Rimmer says evidence based military analysis shows Russia’s war in Ukraine is unsustainable, with increasingly catastrophic human and fiscal losses delivering only limited military returns, reinforcing the need for facts, not propaganda, in assessing European security.

The United Kingdom remains unequivocally committed to Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders. Our support for Ukraine is long term, coordinated, and grounded in the shared understanding that European security is indivisible. Upholding the principles of the Helsinki Final Act is not optional; it is essential to stability across the OSCE area. Continued support to Ukraine is both a legal and strategic necessity.

The United Kingdom attaches particular importance to the core purpose of the Forum for Security Co-operation: to discuss politico-military issues on the basis of professional military expertise, factual analysis, and transparency. Our assessments are grounded in open-source information and, wherever possible, independent third‑party verification, not in state-sponsored propaganda. Preserving the FSC as a space for professional politico‑military dialogue, rather than one shaped by escalation through disingenuous politicisation, is essential if this body is to contribute meaningfully to risk and escalation management and stability.

With that in mind and in line with the OSCE’s comprehensive concept of security and drawing on open‑source reporting and observable trends, our statement today highlights the growing imbalance between the costs Russia is incurring in Ukraine and the limited military gains it is achieving. These dynamics have clear implications for regional stability, military sustainability, and escalation management — core concerns of the FSC.

At the outset, let me be clear: the United Kingdom is horrified by the scale of human loss that this war has produced. All military casualties are tragic. Mass casualties, force degradation, and fiscal strain in any major military power have direct implications for regional stability, escalation risk, and the overall security environment that concerns this Forum. These dynamics affect us all, not only Russia. In 2025, Russian forces reportedly sustained approximately 420,000 casualties, including up to 200,000 killed, while occupying an additional estimated 0.8 per cent of Ukrainian territory. In 2026, those returns have worsened further.

In 2026, Russian losses remain exceptionally high. Even during winter, when operations were partially constrained, average monthly casualties in early 2026 exceeded 30,000, only slightly below the 2025 monthly average of around 35,000. As Russian forces inevitably intensify assaults over the summer and move toward the dense urban belt in Donetsk oblast, casualty rates are likely to return to, or surpass, last year’s record levels. The proportion of losses that are killed, captured, or permanently wounded is reportedly at its highest level to date, placing additional strain on Russia’s mobilisation system.

These losses add to an estimated cumulative total of roughly 1.3 million casualties since the start of the full‑scale invasion. From a security‑governance perspective, these figures point to a conflict trajectory that is neither militarily decisive nor sustainable over the longer term without increasingly severe political and economic trade‑offs. But this is a conscious choice that President Putin has made.

As the pool of volunteers shrinks, Russia faces narrowing mobilisation options. Financial incentives have become more expensive, while large‑scale compulsory mobilisation would risk domestic instability. Most of Russia’s pre‑war professional force has been depleted, forcing commanders to rely on basic, attritional tactics conducted by minimally trained recruits.

Russia’s inability to generate a strategic reserve further undermines operational effectiveness and increases instability along the line of contact. Forces cannot be concentrated for offensive action without exposing other sectors, a vulnerability exploited by Ukrainian counter‑operations near Dobropillia and Kupiansk, where approximately 200 square kilometres have recently been liberated.

These personnel challenges are reflected in rising costs. Russian spending on military manpower increased from approximately USD 39 billion in 2024 to over USD 50 billion in 2025, or around ten per cent of total government spending. Reports indicate that compensation payments to families of fallen soldiers now exceed spending on salaries for serving personnel — an indicator of both the scale of losses and their long‑term fiscal impact.

These cumulative military pressures underline a broader point relevant to this Forum: prolonged violations of the principles enshrined in the Helsinki Final Act — sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the peaceful settlement of disputes — carry mounting costs not only for the victims of aggression, but also for the aggressor’s own security and stability.

Russia’s continued aggression has weakened its own military capacity, eroded its economic foundations, and increased risk across the OSCE area. The United Kingdom takes no satisfaction in the scale of Russian casualties. The loss of life is a tragic consequence of a war that Russia alone chose to initiate and can move to end.

By contrast, Ukraine’s partners remain united, better resourced, and resolved to continue support for as long as required. Support increased significantly in 2025, and long‑term financial instruments now underpin Ukraine’s resilience into 2027. We will not tire, we will not fragment, and we will not be deterred by escalation narratives. Our commitment to Ukraine is grounded in international law, reinforced by capability, and sustained by collective will.

Finally, the UK stands in solidarity with Romania and we commend the measured and responsible response to the repeated and unacceptable violations of its sovereign airspace. The UK remains firmly committed to NATO’s collective defence, including through the deployment of Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoons under NATO’s Enhanced Air Policing mission, and we reiterate our unwavering support for Ukraine in the face of Russia’s illegal and unprovoked war of aggression.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 27 April 2026.

Statement by Steven Doughty MP, Minister of State for Europe, North America, and the Overseas Territories, at the UN Security Council Meeting on the safety and protection of waterways in the maritime domain.

Thank you to Bahrain for bringing us together and for your leadership in this Council. 

That leadership is more important than ever, in the face of growing threats to maritime and indeed regional security from the Black Sea to the Baltic, the Mediterranean, the Red Sea to the Strait of Hormuz, or indeed globally, as pointed out from the Russian shadow fleet.

With reckless attacks and actions putting security and prosperity at risk, we must step up efforts together to safeguard international waterways from disruption, to protect mariners who find themselves in dangerous waters, are denied passage and put at risk, and stand up for all of those most affected, including some of the world’s most vulnerable people, particularly when it comes to food security or supplies of critical products and medicines.

 The United Kingdom, with its long history as a seafaring nation, has long been committed to maritime security. 

And I say that also as a Member of Parliament for the diverse port city of Cardiff, with a proud merchant marine tradition and heritage throughout history. I am particularly glad to join Bahrain and this Council in that effort today.

The most pressing issue, of course, before us is the Strait of Hormuz.

This crisis is not just affecting international shipping, it is driving up costs and sending shockwaves throughout energy markets and supply chains far beyond the region with impact for all of our citizens, our communities and their cost of living.

So, we must get the Strait reopened fully and unconditionally.

Freedom of navigation must be restored, in line with international law. Shipping and seafarers must not be used as leverage, and there is no place for tolls or permissions in international straits.

Freedom of navigation means navigation must be free.

Throughout this crisis, the UK has been clear: Iran must not be able to hold the global economy hostage or indeed threaten regional and international security.

That is why we need renewed action to protect supply chains, uphold freedom of navigation, and the primacy of UNCLOS.

We must also broaden collaboration within the International Maritime Organisation, which, of course, the UK is proud to host.

That is exactly how the UK has been approaching these critical challenges.

In early April, my colleague, the Foreign Secretary, convened more than 40 countries to coordinate action on the Strait of Hormuz.

And on the 17th, she supported Prime Minister Keir Starmer and President Macron in convening over 50 nations to work on getting the Strait open and protecting vessels.

In recent days, she has engaged in meetings across multiple countries with a dozen Foreign Ministers.

And yesterday, our Prime Minister Keir Starmer and President Trump discussed the urgent need to get shipping moving again.

So, the UK will continue to play its part, and this Council has a vital role to play.

That is why, with 135 others, we welcomed Resolution 2817, led by Bahrain and the GCC, condemning Iran’s reckless and unacceptable attacks against regional neighbours, and its disruption of international trade, energy security, and the economies of all of us.

We are grateful for Bahrain’s efforts to pass a further resolution, underscoring the importance of protecting navigational rights and freedoms. 

It is regrettable that Russia and China vetoed this resolution, protecting Iran. 

Therefore, the UK will continue to work with Bahrain, Council members and partners to uphold international law, defend freedom of navigation, protect innocent seafarers, and keep our international sea lanes open and secure.

Because global stability depends on us stepping up, together, and we welcome this discussion.