Tag: 2026

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.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 24 April 2026.

The Convention on Nuclear Safety is the key international legally binding instrument for nuclear safety that currently has 98 Contracting Parties.

President,

The United Kingdom remains gravely concerned about the nuclear safety risks arising from the Russian Federation’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, including its continued presence at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP). This situation is preventing Ukraine’s competent authorities from exercising effective regulatory control and from fully discharging their responsibilities as a Contracting Party under the Convention on Nuclear Safety.

We reject the Russian Federation’s claims that the ZNPP has been transferred to Russian Federation jurisdiction, and its attempt to report on the facility under the Convention. We fully align with the consistent position of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that ZNPP is a Ukrainian nuclear installation.

Under Article 4 of the Convention only Ukraine is entitled to report on the safety of ZNPP. Any reporting by a State that neither lawfully owns nor regulates a nuclear installation is not credible and risks undermining the integrity of the entire peer review process. We therefore look to this Review Meeting, under your leadership, to reject such reporting and to uphold the principles on which the Convention is based.

The Russian Federation’s actions have demonstrated a blatant disregard for the objectives and obligations of the Convention on Nuclear Safety, exposing nuclear installations to risks they are neither designed nor licensed to endure and directly undermine the Convention’s core aim of preventing accidents and mitigating their radiological consequences. Interference with independent regulatory oversight and with the responsibilities of the license holder, including through the presence of unauthorised personnel at ZNPP, prevent the legally responsible Ukrainian organisations from meeting their obligations under Articles 8 and 9 of the Convention and are fundamentally incompatible with its first objective of achieving and maintaining a high level of nuclear safety.

We commend Ukraine for its continued commitment to participate in this Review Meeting and to meet its obligations under the Convention on Nuclear Safety in exceptionally difficult circumstances.

Finally, we express our full support for the IAEA’s work with Ukraine to help reduce the risk of a nuclear accident and to maintain nuclear safety under unprecedented conditions. We pay tribute to IAEA staff who continue to operate with professionalism and dedication in the most challenging circumstances.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 24 April 2026.

Members of the Armed Forces will soon have expanded access to media and entertainment, from top-flight sports like football and rugby to podcasts, gaming, and the latest and Defence news.

• Renewed BFBS contract will expand secure access to premium media for Service personnel, including from top-flight football to streaming services.
• New plans for a next-generation digital platform will future-proof media experiences and allow entertainment on-the-go.
• Enhancing our Armed Forces Offer to personnel, boosting morale and fostering community.

Members of the Armed Forces will soon have expanded access to media and entertainment, from top-flight sports like football and rugby to podcasts, gaming, and the latest and Defence news.  

The Ministry of Defence has extended their commitment to BFBS (British Forces Broadcasting Service) with a new 10-year contract, expanding and adapting their service to a new media landscape, and ensuring that Service communities remain  connected and informed wherever they are in the world at the touch of a button.   

Media organisation and military charity BFBS plays a vital role in improving the experience and morale for service personnel and families wherever they are based, sustaining morale, fostering community, and alleviating isolation on deployment.  

This agreement is backed by the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War, hitting 2.6% of GDP from April 2027.  BFBS will develop new ways to connect with our service personnel, adapting their offer and technology, ensuring secure access in the most remote environments and investing in new entertainment platforms including gaming, catering to the tastes of all our personnel.  

Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, Luke Pollard MP, said:  

BFBS are at the heart of service life, providing our personnel with access to secure, trusted entertainment, ranging from live football matches to the latest movie releases, and keeping our people engaged in Forces life from gaming to developing news. 

This 10-year contract renewal demonstrates our long-term commitment to our people – and will ensure they have media access relevant to their needs, devices and interests, wherever they serve. Our message to our Armed Forces community is clear: this government is on your side.

The contract builds on more than eight decades of BFBS’s dedication to connecting and entertaining the UK Armed Forces, bringing continued value for money. As a registered charity, BFBS is uniquely positioned to secure content partnerships that would not typically be achievable through commercial procurement. For example, their premium overseas television lineup — including movies, series and major live sport bring our personnel a huge morale boost and a vital connection to home life.  

Ben Chapman, BFBS CEO said:   

We are very excited to announce this new contract with the MOD, and to fulfil our mission of uniting the UK Armed Forces and their families with trusted, creative media experiences for the next decade.   

We are living in complex geopolitical times, with Defence at the top of the global agenda, and never has the media landscape been more disrupted. BFBS plays a vital role in supporting the operational readiness and welfare of our military wherever they are serving, and we help to maintain a healthy democracy by ensuring that all those who serve our country have access to trusted, relevant, and secure media.”  

The commitment to extend this service is part of Government’s wider efforts to strengthen the Offer for our Armed Forces personnel, including landmark action to buy back and renew nearly 40,000 military family homes, a new childcare scheme saving eligible forces families in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland up to £6,000 per year per child by reimbursing early years childcare costs, and the establishment of a new, independently-appointed Armed Forces Commissioner with the power to investigate issues raised directly by personnel and their families. 

About BFBS (British Forces Broadcasting Service)   

• BFBS is a military charity and media organisation that entertains, informs, connects, and champions the UK Armed Forces.    
• They help to keep people in touch, building morale among the Forces wherever they serve, offering them a way to share experiences with other personnel, as well as a valuable connection to life back home.     
• BFBS bring trusted and secure entertainment, news, sport, and information services to the military, their families, and veterans worldwide. With their first broadcast in 1943, BFBS have been providing our service personnel with access to some of their favourite television shows and movies for over 80 years, helping them stay connected with home and keeping them up to date on the latest news, entertainment and sport fixtures.  
• They currently provide up to 16 core channels on the BFBS TV set top box with 30+ channels live and on demand on the BFBS TV Player for those based overseas.  
• See bfbs.com for the latest global Defence news and stories.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 24 April 2026.

Deputy Ambassador James Ford marked the 40th anniversary of the Chornobyl disaster, honouring those affected and stressing the enduring human and environmental consequences, while warning that Russia’s war against Ukraine has revived acute nuclear safety risks across the OSCE region.

Thank you, Mr Chair.

As the Ukrainian Ambassador has noted, this Sunday marks the fortieth anniversary of the Chornobyl disaster, one of the most devastating nuclear disasters in history. And it is right that we pause to remember those who lost their lives, to honour the courage of the first responders and health workers, and to reflect on the profound and lasting human and environmental consequences of the disaster.

Forty years on, Chornobyl remains a powerful symbol of loss. Entire communities were displaced and lives were permanently altered. The health, social and environmental effects extended far beyond the immediate vicinity of the site and continue to affect people across borders and generations. These human realities must remain at the heart of our commemoration.

Chornobyl was also a turning point for the international community. It exposed the catastrophic consequences of secrecy, weak governance and the failure to uphold safety norms. In response, States strengthened nuclear safety standards, reinforced emergency preparedness, and deepened international cooperation. Above all, Chornobyl made clear that nuclear safety is indivisible. An accident in one place can have consequences far beyond national borders.

That lesson is as relevant today as it was in 1986. As we mark this anniversary, we cannot ignore that nuclear safety risks in the OSCE area have once again become acute owing to Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine. Power disruptions, security challenges and physical damage across Ukraine’s nuclear facilities serve as stark reminders of how fragile even well-established safety arrangements can be when basic norms are ignored.

The conditions required for nuclear safety, stability, transparency, professional operation and respect for international frameworks cannot be taken for granted. When safety norms and international law are disregarded, the risks of miscalculation and escalation grow, with potentially severe and lasting consequences.

Mr Chair, the OSCE’s concept of security recognises that military, environmental and human security are deeply interconnected. Nuclear safety sits squarely within this framework. It depends on strong institutions, transparency, cooperation, and respect for sovereignty and international obligations.

The fortieth anniversary of Chornobyl is therefore more than a moment of remembrance. It is a call for vigilance, responsibility and resolve. By honouring those affected by Chornobyl, we reaffirm our shared duty to uphold the principles that protect us all – now and in the future.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 23 April 2026.

Ambassador Neil Holland recalls the vital contribution of media freedom to security in the OSCE region, and calls on Russia, Belarus and others to live up to their OSCE commitments.

Thank you, Chair. Welcome back to the Permanent Council Jan and thank you for your report.   

The United Kingdom remains steadfast in its commitment to media freedom around the world, recognising the vital role that journalists play in upholding human rights, supporting accountable governance, and protecting democracy. As the Moldovan President Maia Sandu put it, “Peace cannot survive without information integrity, and democracies cannot survive without those who protect it.”   

No one country has all the answers in the face of a rapidly changing media landscape. That is why the UK remains a strong supporter of your mandate here at the OSCE. The UK is convinced that a well-informed global public is more resilient to disinformation and information manipulation, and better equipped to hold power to account. That is as true in 2026 as it was in 1975, when our predecessors agreed to improve cross-border access to information and journalists’ working conditions as part of the negotiations on the Third Basket.  

I fully agree with your assessment that media freedom is thus a necessary condition for peace and security, not a peripheral or second order issue. This is particularly evident in the context of the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine, where the information environment – including the safety of journalists – has become a central dimension of the conflict. 

The UK remains deeply concerned by the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. UN and ODIHR reporting documents killings, injuries, arbitrary detention and other serious violations against journalists, as well as sustained attacks on civilian infrastructure essential to the work of independent media.   

Inside both Russia and Belarus, systematic and deliberate repression aims to silence dissenting voices, criminalise journalism and shut down independent media outlets. Such internal repression enables external aggression by hollowing out domestic accountability, distorting the information environment and undermining regional security. It therefore stands in absolute contradiction to the principles and commitments agreed by all 57 OSCE participating States.   

The UK is also concerned by developments in Azerbaijan, Turkey, Georgia and Serbia.  We call on all OSCE participating States to engage with your office and to safeguard freedom of expression as well as free and independent media.     

Representative, dear Jan, earlier this year the UK joined Finland as Co-Chair of the Media Freedom Coalition. Our priorities as Co-Chair include supporting public interest media, technology and media freedom, and the safety of journalists including the specific risks faced by women journalists. We are grateful to you and your team for your longstanding work on these areas and look forward to working closely with you and your office to advance media freedom and hence the shared security of the OSCE region.    

Thank you Chair.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 23 April 2026.

Ambassador Holland condemned Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine, denounced recent Russian threats and intimidation at the OSCE, reaffirmed the UK’s continued military support for Ukraine, and called for the immediate and unconditional release of unlawfully detained OSCE Special Monitoring Mission members.

Thank you, Mr Chair.

The UK remains steadfast in its condemnation of Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine, and of the broader pattern of behaviour that continues to undermine security, stability, and the principles on which this Organisation is founded.

Firstly I want to join my colleagues in condemning the threats made by the Russian Federation at last week’s meeting. This reflects a familiar attempt to intimidate and deter those who support Ukraine’s right to defend itself against an illegal and unprovoked invasion. It will not work.

The Russian state characterises international support for Ukraine’s defence against its deadly attacks as an escalation of the conflict – a claim that is unfounded and aimed at deflecting from its own actions. Our support for Ukraine, and readiness to defend ourselves, is lawful and necessary in response to Russia’s continued aggression. And in this regard I wish to associate the UK with the statement delivered by my French colleague today in its entirety.

Our common security is best protected not through threats, but through adherence to the shared principles set out in the UN Charter and the Helsinki Final Act — respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity. The UK and our partners stand firmly behind those principles. It is Russia that is violating them, systematically and flagrantly, through its illegal war of aggression against Ukraine.

The UK will not be deterred. The UK will continue to provide the military assistance Ukraine needs, for as long as it needs it.

Mr Chair, Russia’s disregard for agreed rules and commitments is also evident in its continued treatment of this Organisation and its personnel. This month marks four years since our colleagues from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine – Dmytro Shabanov, Vadym Golda and Maxim Petrov – were unlawfully detained by Russia and its proxies. They were detained while carrying out duties mandated by this Council, under a mission established by consensus, including by the Russian Federation. Their continued detention remains a clear breach of OSCE commitments.

Once again, the UK calls for their immediate and unconditional release. Their detention is not a marginal issue. It forms part of a broader pattern of obstructing independent observation, rejecting accountability, and weakening the institutions designed to reduce risk and build security across the OSCE area.

The OSCE exists to promote security through transparency, restraint and respect for agreed rules. Russia’s actions towards this Organisation run directly counter to those principles. And until Russia chooses compliance over obstruction and accountability over denial, its actions will continue to undermine trust in this Council and in the commitments we have all undertaken.

Thank you.