Chief of the British General Staff Admiral Tony Radakin said he wants to strengthen relations with Russia for maximum benefit.
According to the Telegraph, which interviewed Radakin, the British Chief of the General Staff kept in touch with his Russian counterpart Valery Gerasimov for a year, despite worsening relations between Moscow and London.
Radakin said: “We have always said that we will keep in touch, but we will not go into the details of what we talked about here. He (Gerasimov), for his part, supports this very well. We would like to have more regular contacts. I would like it to be stronger, even if the negotiations are difficult.”
According to the publication, Radakin referred to a respectful tone in a telegram from Russian President Vladimir Putin sent to the new King of Great Britain, Charles III, in connection with the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. Radakin welcomed every opportunity to keep the channels of communication open.
He said: “The danger is to cling to the current situation, which may lead him to exaggerate. He must resort to analysis, but not go too far in it, and he must try to remain balanced.
In mid-November, British Foreign Secretary James Cleverley said that London had no plans to return to normal relations with Moscow.
Earlier, a Kremlin source indicated that he does not currently see the conditions for improving relations with the UK, and there are no hopes for any positive developments in this area in the foreseeable future.
The source stressed that Russia remains open and ready to discuss all complex issues at the negotiating table, but not to the detriment of its own interests.
Source: News