Nicosia, Cyprus. Former UK prime minister Rishi Sunak said Cyprus is “only a target” because it hosts two British sovereign bases, as multiple countries moved military assets to the island and surrounding waters following a drone incident.
Sunak criticises UK response
Sunak wrote in The Times that, given the notice of strikes, the UK should have moved a ship to the Mediterranean to help protect its interests and allies. He said it was “embarrassing” that France appeared to be doing more to protect Cyprus, adding that Cyprus is targeted because of the UK’s sovereign bases on the island. Sunak accused the current British government of lacking “strategic acumen.”
French and Greek deployments ahead of Macron visit
Sunak’s comments came as French President Emmanuel Macron was set to visit Cyprus on Monday, accompanied by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. The French frigate Languedoc arrived in Cypriot waters on Wednesday after the island’s British Akrotiri air force base was hit by an Iranian-made drone last Monday.
Macron also announced last week that the aircraft carrier the Charles de Gaulle would be deployed in the eastern Mediterranean. It was believed the carrier and its strike group passed through the Strait of Gibraltar on Friday.
Greece deployed four F-16 fighter jets to Cyprus last Monday, as well as two frigates, including the Kimon, which Mitsotakis described on Wednesday as the “pride of the Greek fleet.”
UK reinforcement measures and possible carrier deployment
Since the drone strike, the UK has sent two AW159 Wildcat helicopters armed with anti-drone missiles to Cyprus. The HMS Dragon Type 45 destroyer was also expected to depart Portsmouth in the coming days.
On Sunday morning, the BBC reported the UK was considering sending an aircraft carrier toward Cyprus, citing “defence sources” who said the crew of the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales had been told the ship must set sail from Portsmouth within five days.
The UK also sent Defence Secretary John Healey to Cyprus, where he met his Cypriot counterpart Vasilis Palmas and said “top experts” had arrived on the island “to help coordinate the air defences.”
Other countries confirm deployments
Germany, Spain, Italy, and Turkey also confirmed the deployment of military assets to Cyprus and its vicinity over the past week.
What do you think the UK’s next step should be to protect its bases and support Cyprus?
