Kremlin says contacts with Britain failed to develop

The Kremlin confirmed on Wednesday that there had been contact between Britain’s national security adviser, Jonathan Powell, and Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov, but the dialogue ultimately did not continue.

The Financial Times reported that Powell had attempted to establish a backchannel to the Kremlin, as Britain and its European allies were concerned that the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump might overlook their interests regarding Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that Britain had shown no willingness to hear Russia's perspective on the Ukraine conflict.

“There were indeed contacts,” Peskov said. “A dialogue took place, but it did not go any further.”

He did not specify when the conversation occurred.

“During this contact, the interlocutor showed a strong desire to discuss the Europeans' position but displayed no intention or interest in understanding our position,” Peskov explained.

“As a result, with no possibility of exchanging views, the dialogue failed to develop.”

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