Russian fleet sails off the coast of Portugal en route to the Mediterranean

THERE was a certain irony that just a few days after the celebration of Trafalgar Day in Gibraltar the Russian Aircraft Carrier fleet which had sailed through the English Channel, causing the British Government to shadow its movements, actually made its way through the Straits of Gibraltar as it headed towards its naval base in Tartus Syria.

Much has been made of this fleet movement and in a war of words, the Russians have said that NATO is scared as it cannot match the might of Russia whilst it is suggested that this is a hollow action as the carrier Admiral Kuznetsov is basically in poor condition and is only being deployed in order to wind up the West.

In the meantime, Guy Verhofstadt, the former prime minister of Belgium tweeted “It is scandalous that Spain, a member of NATO and the EU, is today allowing the Russian #Kuznetsov fleet to refuel and receive technical assistance on Spanish territory. Only last week – this Spanish Government signed up to a statement from the European Council accusing Russia of war crimes against civilians in #Aleppo, yet today it provides assistance to a fleet which has one purpose; the annihilation of Aleppo and the harassment of EU & NATO forces.”