The British government was left in the dark during the Ukraine crisis because its diplomats can’t understand Russian - UK Politics - UK

The British government was left in the dark during the Ukraine crisis because its diplomats can’t understand Russian - UK Politics - UK - The Independent
▻http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/the-british-government-was-left-in-the-dark-during-the-ukraine-crisis

The revelations came to light in a report by Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, which has been scrutinising the Foreign Office’s performance.

The committee’s MPs found that only 27 per cent of Russian “speaker slots” at Britain’s foreign ministry were filled by someone who could speak the language to the specified level.

The figure across all languages was only 38 per cent, a fact the committee described as “alarming”.

The cross-party group of MPs found that cuts to the FCO’s budget meant the department was finding it difficult to retain the right level of expertise.

Further government cuts would “probably” mean a significant reduction in Britain’s world influence and a scaling back of its foreign policy ambitions, they concluded.