UK Defence Minister Wes Streeting is urging for more direct communication channels with Russia, particularly military-to-military, to prevent 'miscalculation' and avoid war, amidst frozen relations since the 2022 Ukraine invasion.
UK Defence Minister Wes Streeting has called for increased direct contact with Russia, specifically at the military-to-military level, to mitigate the 'risk of miscalculation' and avert potential conflict. Speaking in a Financial Times interview, Streeting highlighted the importance of such channels despite the existing embassy in Moscow. His remarks come as Russian and Ukrainian officials are set to meet for US-brokered talks, their first since February. Relations between Moscow and most European capitals, including London, have been frozen since Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. While there was a brief meeting between Russian and German foreign ministers in September, where Germany urged de-escalation, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov later defended the war and criticized Western nations. The UK maintains a policy against direct bilateral engagement with Russian ministers post-invasion, with Prime Minister Andy Burnham stating President Putin would not attend a G20 summit in Manchester due to sanctions, even as President Trump suggested a peace deal and invited Putin to a G20 summit in Miami.
