MPs warn over U.K. continuing arms’ export to Russia

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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MPs have warned on Wednesday over U.K.’s continuous export of tens of millions of pounds worth of arms and other dual-use military equipment including sniper rifles and bomb proof suits to Russia despite concerns Moscow is arming separatist rebels in Ukraine.

The Commons Committees on Arms Export Controls (CAEC) have said that 251 export licences for the sale to Russia of controlled goods worth at least £132 million remained in force.

CAEC have also revealed that foreign secretary William Hague failed to act as he had promised earlier in March to stop military sales to Russia which could be used against Ukraine, as only 31 licences had been revoked or suspended while Russia had been removed as a permitted destination on three others.

The permitted licences include covering sniper rifles, night sights, small arms ammunition, gun mountings, body armour, military communications equipment, and “equipment employing cryptography”.

CAEC chairman Sir John Stanley has told that the relatively small number of licences which had been withdrawn reflected the “circumscribed” nature of Mr Hague’s original statement which referred only to equipment which could be deployed against Ukraine and did not cover Russia’s wider defence requirements.

The revelation came into light after Prime Minister David Cameron on Monday had strongly condemned European countries such as France for continuing to pursue defence sales to Russia despite Moscow’s backing for the separatists.

Mr Cameron has told Westminster MPs that “future military sales from any country in Europe should not be going ahead”.

The PM has added: “We have already stopped them from Britain.

“On the issue of defence equipment, we already unilaterally said – as did the US – that we would not sell further arms to Russia; we believe other European countries should do the same.”

France after getting irritated by Mr Cameron’s tough talk on sanctions have accused the prime minister of being soft on Russian interests in the U.K. for fear of hitting the City’s lucrative trade with Russia. Britain is also being accused of double standards by a few Russian critics.

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