Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev has warned that if the United Kingdom signs an imminent deal with Ukraine to put troops in the country, Moscow would consider it as a declaration of war. Medvedev was reacting to the imminent signing of a security agreement between London and Kiev.

Medvedev, who currently serves as deputy chair of the Russian Security Council, issued his warning in a social media post.

A visit to Kiev on Friday by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who is set to sign a security agreement with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, would ensure British troops would be openly deployed to Ukraine.

Sunak’s arrival in the Ukrainian capital is meant to “set out a major new package of support and reaffirm the close UK-Ukraine partnership,” his office said in a statement. The security document is a follow-up to agreements reached by G7 and NATO members last year, it noted. The statement did not mention any plans for a British military deployment in Ukraine, however, it could be implied.

“[The deal] formalizes a range of support the UK has been and will continue to provide for Ukraine’s security, including intelligence sharing, cyber security, medical and military training, and defense industrial cooperation,” Downing Street said, according to a report by RT.

The British government has pledged £2.5 billion ($3.2 billion) in military aid to Ukraine over the next two years, including in the form of thousands of military drones, which London said will be the largest of their kind ever received by Kiev. Most of the UAVs will be made in the UK, the announcement added. –RT

Moscow has repeatedly accused the UK (and the United States) of helping Ukraine organize attacks against Russia, particularly in the Black Sea. The Russian Defense Ministry has claimed that British military personnel already have a presence in Ukraine.

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