UK taking sceptical view towards Russian pledges, deputy PM says

LONDON (Reuters) -Britain will take a very sceptical view towards Russia and its pledge to scale down military operations around Kyiv, with Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab saying London will judge Moscow on its actions not words.

Russia has promised in negotiations to scale down some military operations to “increase mutual trust”, but Western countries expect that to lead to an intensification of its offensive in other parts of the country.

Britain mirrored Ukraine in reacting with scepticism.

“The door to diplomacy will always be left ajar, but I don’t think you can trust what is coming out of the mouth of Putin’s war machine,” Raab told Sky News.

Talks took place in an Istanbul palace more than a month into the largest attack on a European nation since World War Two that has killed or injured thousands, forced nearly 4 million to flee abroad and drawn sanctions that have pummelled Russia’s economy.

“Ultimately, they need to be tested by their actions and they need to withdraw from Ukraine, not just reposition,” Raab told Times Radio

“But I think we take a very sceptical view about anything coming out of Moscow.”

(Reporting by Kate Holton; editing by William James)