UK foreign minister in 'soft power' plan to combat Putin: report
PR dla Zagranicy
Paweł Kononczuk
14.02.2017 16:08
British foreign minister Boris Johnson has earmarked millions in overseas aid cash for a new fund to be used as a "soft" weapon against Vladimir Putin, according to British press reports.
Boris Johnson. Photo: Financial Times/flickr.com (CC BY-SA 2.0)
The Sun tabloid reported that Johnson will look to use a new GBP 700 million (EUR 820 million) “empowerment fund” to foster stability and prosperity in former Soviet states.
It added that the move would infuriate the Kremlin.
Help for Ukraine and Baltic states?
The Sun said a large part of the money would go towards helping protect Ukraine and the Baltic states.
British taxpayers’ cash could help countries like Ukraine improve their defences against cyber warfare, the tabloid added.
‘Democracy in retreat’
The Daily Telegraph noted that in December Johnson said in a speech: "We have the cult of the strong man. We have democracy in retreat.
"We need to redouble our resolve and defend and preserve the best of the rules-based international order."
The Sun said that the money would also be used as a “soft” weapon against ISIS and radical extremists across the Middle East.
Britain’s foreign ministry has not commented on report, the Telegraph said.
(pk)
Source: thesun.co.uk/telegraph.co.uk