Ambassador: Britain will not be able to deliver donated minesweepers to Ukraine until the end of the war

Ukraine will not be able to receive British minesweepers until the end of the war due to the Montreux Convention. This was stated by British Ambassador to Kyiv Martin Harris.

He confirmed this information to the European Pravda publication.

The ambassador reminded that Turkey does not allow two minesweepers, which London promised Kyiv as part of the creation of the Coalition of Maritime Forces and Capabilities, to pass through because of the Montreux Convention.

"The Montreux Convention prohibits the passage of warships through the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles during the war in the Black Sea. The UK is a party to the Convention and we support this position of Turkey," the ambassador said.

However, according to him, adherence to these rules also benefits Ukraine, because thanks to the Convention, Russia cannot rebuild its destroyed fleet.

The ambassador also denied that Romania or Bulgaria could receive these minesweepers, as they are not belligerents in the Russian-Ukrainian war.

"No, this is also impossible. And this is our position. We will not supply such ships if it does not comply with the Montreux Convention," the diplomat said.

Turkey, as a guarantor of the Black Sea straits of Bosporus and Dardanelles, closed them to Ukrainian and Russian warships in accordance with the Montreux Convention.

In this regard, Turkey has stated that the minesweepers donated to Ukraine by the UK will not be able to pass through the Turkish straits to the Black Sea as long as the war continues.

Background. Earlier, Turkey denied reports that it had allowed two minesweepers donated by the UK to Ukraine to pass through the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits to the Black Sea.