The Foreign Office’s legal director, Paul Berman, this Wednesday rejected the claim that the presence of British soldiers on Ukrainian soil on non-combat missions makes the country part of the conflict. This position is disputed by scientists.
In a debate organized by the British Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House) this Wednesday on the publication of a study on the identification of parties to an armed conflict in international law, Berman acknowledged that the use of military personnel in non-combat roles is unacceptable. “a very sensitive issue.”
“In the two years since Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, it has become clear to NATO allies and others that providing equipment to Ukraine does not make them a party to the conflict, an analysis supported by research,” he, a British diplomacy expert, said.