Russia says there is no hope for the improvement of ties with Britain under new British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who has vowed to support Ukraine.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that Moscow saw “no grounds for hope that there will be any positive changes in the foreseeable future.”
“Russia remains open and ready to discuss the most difficult issues at the negotiating table. But not to the detriment of our own interests,” he said.
He made the remarks hours after Sunak became Britain’s new prime minister following the resignation of Liz Truss.
After Truss resigned last week, Moscow said that it was not expecting any “political wisdom” from London or any of its Western allies. “We cannot expect any insights or political wisdom from anyone in the West now… especially from Great Britain, where the current head of the executive is not elected by the people,” Peskov said at the time.
Relations between Moscow and London, already strained due to a litany of issues, have deteriorated even further since Russia launched its military campaign in Ukraine on February 24.
The United Kingdom has been a key ally of Ukraine in the eight-month war, committing 2.3 billion pounds ($2.6 billion) in military aid to Kiev this year. It has recently supplied Ukraine with advanced air defense missiles capable of shooting down cruise projectiles.
Sunak vowed on Tuesday to continue to support Ukraine even as he warned of difficult financial choices ahead for his government. Speaking outside 10 Downing Street, Sunak called the Ukrainian conflict a “terrible war that must be seen successfully to its conclusion.”
Russia has said supplying Ukraine with weapons will prolong the conflict.
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