UK demonstrations demand end to Russian aggression

By Muhammad Mussa

LONDON (AA) - Demonstrations on Saturday were held across the UK in support of Ukraine as the Russian military intervention in the Eastern European country entered its third day amid international outcry.

In London, hundreds of protesters gathered outside the Russian Embassy holding placards and shouting pro-Ukrainian slogans. They wrote messages against Russian President Vladimir Putin on the embassy’s wall and pelted the building with eggs.

“Russia stop the war!”, “Putin stop the war!” and “Leave Ukraine alone!” were among the many signs present at the protest. The demonstrators, many of whom were Ukrainians with families in the besieged country, were present and displayed Ukrainian flags.

Elsewhere in the capital, protesters gathered outside Downing Street, played Ukrainian songs and sang the country’s national anthem while holding a large Ukrainian national flag. They also chanted “stop Putin, stop the war!”

Demonstrations were also held in Manchester, northern England, where people gathered in the city’s Piccadilly Gardens and demanded an end to Russian aggression.

Meanwhile, Royal Navy ships, British Army troops, and Royal Air force fighters left for new deployments in eastern Europe to bolster NATO’s eastern front, the Defense Ministry said.

“Our armed forces are once again being called upon in the service of our Nation and I salute the bravery and sense of duty shared by all our personnel who have been deployed to support NATO,” Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said in a statement.

“Alongside our NATO Allies, these deployments constitute a credible deterrent to stop Russian aggression threatening the territorial sovereignty of member states,” Wallace added.

- Royals pledge support for Ukraine

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Prince William and Catherine also offered their support to the people of Ukraine.

“In October 2020 we had the privilege to meet President (Volodymyr) Zelenskyy and the First Lady to learn of their hope and optimism for Ukraine’s future,” the Duke and Duchess said in a statement on Twitter.

“Today we stand with the President and all of Ukraine’s people as they bravely fight for that future."