Russia's Foreign Ministry indicated Wednesday that military talks with Britain would require London to initiate contact, following a British appeal for more communication to reduce the chance of miscalculation.
Maria Zakharova, the ministry's spokeswoman, urged British Defence Minister Wes Streeting to contact Russia's Defense Ministry. “They’ll pick up the phone and have a conversation,” she said during a press briefing.
Reuters reported that Streeting made his appeal in an interview published by the Financial Times on Tuesday. Streeting said Britain's embassy in Moscow remained operational while arguing for additional routes of communication, including contact between the countries' armed forces. EconoTimes previously reported Streeting's case for direct military contact as a way to reduce miscalculation risk.
Zakharova also accused Britain of shutting down communications channels with Russia in 2024 after expelling a Russian military attaché. Britain said the diplomat was an undeclared military intelligence officer. Reuters characterized the broader relationship as strained by the war in Ukraine, with Britain a strong supporter of Kyiv and an advocate of greater pressure on Moscow.
