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UK's Boris Johnson denies being 'anti-Russian' after Moscow criticism

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday that British prime minister is 'most active participant in the race to be anti-Russian'

Soraya Ebrahimi
Soraya Ebrahimi

March 24, 2022

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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has hit back at Moscow after the Kremlin effectively labelled him as enemy number one among western leaders.

The prime minister insisted after an emergency Nato summit in Brussels that he was not “remotely anti-Russian” after Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted by the state-owned RIA news agency as saying that Mr Johnson is “the most active participant in the race to be anti-Russian”.

Speaking at the press conference in Brussels, the prime minister said: “Absolutely not, least of all me. I think I’m probably the only prime minister in UK history to be called Boris, I think I have that distinction, and I’m not remotely anti-Russian.

He also told reporters he has not, in principle, ruled out acceding to Ukraine’s request for tanks.

In a virtual address to leaders for, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s pleaded for “1 per cent of all your planes, 1 per cent of all your tanks”.

Despite hesitance among allies, Mr Johnson did not completely rule out Ukraine's request, saying instead that the move would be challenging “logistically”

Western leaders have said that providing such military equipment to Ukraine could further provoke Russian President Vladimir Putin.

World and US-led military alliance leaders gather at Nato headquarters in Brussels to discuss the war in Ukraine. Reuters
World and US-led military alliance leaders gather at Nato headquarters in Brussels to discuss the war in Ukraine. Reuters
Smoke rises near a seaport in Berdyansk, Ukraine, whose navy reported it had sunk the Russian ship ‘Orsk’ in the Sea of Asov. AP Photo
Smoke rises near a seaport in Berdyansk, Ukraine, whose navy reported it had sunk the Russian ship ‘Orsk’ in the Sea of Asov. AP Photo
Refugees with children wait for a transport after fleeing the war from neighbouring Ukraine at a railway station in Przemysl, Poland. AP Photo
Refugees with children wait for a transport after fleeing the war from neighbouring Ukraine at a railway station in Przemysl, Poland. AP Photo
A girl sleeps as refugees from Ukraine wait at the railway station in Przemysl, Poland. More than half of Ukraine's children have already been displaced, Unicef said. AFP
A girl sleeps as refugees from Ukraine wait at the railway station in Przemysl, Poland. More than half of Ukraine's children have already been displaced, Unicef said. AFP
A school destroyed in a Russian bomb in Kharkiv. AFP
A school destroyed in a Russian bomb in Kharkiv. AFP
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks from the capital Kyiv. AP
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks from the capital Kyiv. AP
Activists hold placards during a protest in solidarity with Ukraine, at Grand Central Station in New York. AFP
Activists hold placards during a protest in solidarity with Ukraine, at Grand Central Station in New York. AFP
Ukrainian refugees take sandwiches at Krakow Airport before boarding a plane to Zurich, chartered by a Swiss millionaire. AFP
Ukrainian refugees take sandwiches at Krakow Airport before boarding a plane to Zurich, chartered by a Swiss millionaire. AFP
A man collects clothes from a damaged house in the city of Zhytomyr, northern Ukraine. AFP
A man collects clothes from a damaged house in the city of Zhytomyr, northern Ukraine. AFP
A customer checks his rifle in a gun shop in Lviv, western Ukraine. AP
A customer checks his rifle in a gun shop in Lviv, western Ukraine. AP
A mother tends to her newborn baby in the shelter of a maternity ward in the city of Zhytomyr, northern Ukraine. AFP
A mother tends to her newborn baby in the shelter of a maternity ward in the city of Zhytomyr, northern Ukraine. AFP
A serviceman carries the photo of Captain Andrei Paliy, a deputy commander of Russia's Black Sea Fleet, during a farewell ceremony in Sevastopol, Crimea. AP
A serviceman carries the photo of Captain Andrei Paliy, a deputy commander of Russia's Black Sea Fleet, during a farewell ceremony in Sevastopol, Crimea. AP
A member of the Ukrainian Territorial Defence Forces stands in front of a damaged house in the city of Zhytomyr, northern Ukraine. AFP
A member of the Ukrainian Territorial Defence Forces stands in front of a damaged house in the city of Zhytomyr, northern Ukraine. AFP
A Ukrainian serviceman guards a military check point in the city of Zhytomyr, northern Ukraine. AFP
A Ukrainian serviceman guards a military check point in the city of Zhytomyr, northern Ukraine. AFP
Zinaida Bogdanova, a resident of the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, reacts as she stays at a temporary accommodation centre for evacuees located in the building of a local sports school in Taganrog in the Rostov region, Russia. Reuters
Zinaida Bogdanova, a resident of the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, reacts as she stays at a temporary accommodation centre for evacuees located in the building of a local sports school in Taganrog in the Rostov region, Russia. Reuters
Children play in front of a building damaged in fighting during the Ukraine-Russia conflict, in the besieged southern port of Mariupol, Ukraine. Reuters
Children play in front of a building damaged in fighting during the Ukraine-Russia conflict, in the besieged southern port of Mariupol, Ukraine. Reuters
Graves of residents killed by shelling during the Ukraine-Russia conflict are seen in a yard, in the besieged southern port of Mariupol, Ukraine. Reuters
Graves of residents killed by shelling during the Ukraine-Russia conflict are seen in a yard, in the besieged southern port of Mariupol, Ukraine. Reuters
A Russian army soldier stands next to local residents who queue for humanitarian aid delivered during the Ukraine-Russia conflict, in the besieged southern port of Mariupol, Ukraine. Reuters
A Russian army soldier stands next to local residents who queue for humanitarian aid delivered during the Ukraine-Russia conflict, in the besieged southern port of Mariupol, Ukraine. Reuters
A Ukrainian serviceman stands on guard as Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, right, speaks alongside his brother, former heavyweight boxing world champion, Wladimir Klitschko, in the Ukrainian capital. AP
A Ukrainian serviceman stands on guard as Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, right, speaks alongside his brother, former heavyweight boxing world champion, Wladimir Klitschko, in the Ukrainian capital. AP
Family photos lie amid the rubble of the home of former teacher Natalia. The house, in Kyiv, was hit in a military strike. Reuters
Family photos lie amid the rubble of the home of former teacher Natalia. The house, in Kyiv, was hit in a military strike. Reuters
A service member of pro-Russian troops, wearing a uniform without insignia, handles a mortar round at the weapons depot near Marinka, Donetsk. Reuters
A service member of pro-Russian troops, wearing a uniform without insignia, handles a mortar round at the weapons depot near Marinka, Donetsk. Reuters
Volodymyr, 80, rests inside his apartment, which was damaged by shelling, in Kyiv. AP
Volodymyr, 80, rests inside his apartment, which was damaged by shelling, in Kyiv. AP
This Maxar satellite image shows the remains of high-rise apartment buildings in Mariupol. AFP
This Maxar satellite image shows the remains of high-rise apartment buildings in Mariupol. AFP
A man walks through a residential district of Kyiv that was damaged by shelling. Reuters
A man walks through a residential district of Kyiv that was damaged by shelling. Reuters
A woman exercises near a car and apartments damaged by shelling, in Kyiv. AP
A woman exercises near a car and apartments damaged by shelling, in Kyiv. AP
Volunteers at a beach fill sandbags to defend their city, Odesa, in southern Ukraine. AP
Volunteers at a beach fill sandbags to defend their city, Odesa, in southern Ukraine. AP
A firefighter takes a break from extinguishing flames inside a house in Kyiv that was damaged by shelling. AP
A firefighter takes a break from extinguishing flames inside a house in Kyiv that was damaged by shelling. AP
Rescuers conduct search operations and dismantle debris in Kharkiv, Ukraine. AFP
Rescuers conduct search operations and dismantle debris in Kharkiv, Ukraine. AFP
People queue at a pharmacy in Kharkiv. AP
People queue at a pharmacy in Kharkiv. AP
City workers cover the monument to Italian poet, writer and philosopher Dante Alighieri with sandbags to protect against Russian shelling in Kyiv. AFP
City workers cover the monument to Italian poet, writer and philosopher Dante Alighieri with sandbags to protect against Russian shelling in Kyiv. AFP
Former teacher Natalia stands near the ruins of her house which was hit in a military strike in Kyiv, Ukraine. Reuters
Former teacher Natalia stands near the ruins of her house which was hit in a military strike in Kyiv, Ukraine. Reuters
Locals clean the area at a residential district of Kyiv that was damaged by shelling, as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues. Reuters
Locals clean the area at a residential district of Kyiv that was damaged by shelling, as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues. Reuters

“What President Zelenskyy wants is to try to relieve Mariupol and to help the thousands of Ukrainian fighters in the city. To that end, he does need armour, as he sees it,” Mr Johnson told reporters.

“We are looking at what we can do to help. But logistically, it looks very difficult both with armour and with jets.”

But as Russian forces continue to pummel Ukrainian cities, causing millions to flee, Mr Johnson drew a line between the behaviour of Mr Putin and the Russian people.

“I think what we all agree is that what Vladimir Putin is doing, the way he’s leading Russia at the moment, is utterly catastrophic, that his invasion of Ukraine is inhuman and barbaric,” he said.

“And the conduct of that invasion is now moving into the type of behaviour that, as I said before, we haven’t seen.

“So, you can be sympathetic towards ordinary Russians, who are being so badly led, but you can be deeply hostile to the decisions of Vladimir Putin.”

The National's picks

4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young

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Founder: Muhammad Khalid
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: Generative AI
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Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000

Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent

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CHATGPT%20ENTERPRISE%20FEATURES
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MATCH INFO

Leeds United 0

Brighton 1 (Maupay 17')

Man of the match: Ben White (Brighton)

About Tenderd

Started: May 2018

Founder: Arjun Mohan

Based: Dubai

Size: 23 employees 

Funding: Raised $5.8m in a seed fund round in December 2018. Backers include Y Combinator, Beco Capital, Venturesouq, Paul Graham, Peter Thiel, Paul Buchheit, Justin Mateen, Matt Mickiewicz, SOMA, Dynamo and Global Founders Capital

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The%20Genius%20of%20Their%20Age
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Infiniti QX80 specs

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Two stars

EA Sports FC 26

Publisher: EA Sports

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Rating: 3/5

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THE SPECS

Engine: 3.5-litre supercharged V6

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Engine 3.6L V6

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RESULT

Arsenal 1 Chelsea 2
Arsenal: Aubameyang (13')
Chelsea: Jorginho (83'), Abraham (87') 

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Persuasion
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECarrie%20Cracknell%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDakota%20Johnson%2C%20Cosmo%20Jarvis%2C%20Richard%20E%20Grant%2C%20Henry%20Golding%20and%20Nikki%20Amuka-Bird%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UK%20-%20UAE%20Trade
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How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
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  2. Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
  3. Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
  4. Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
  5. Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
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*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year

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Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

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Which honey takes your fancy?

Al Ghaf Honey

The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year

Sidr Honey

The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest

Samar Honey

The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments

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