Russia Outlines 'Extreme Measure' It Could Take Against NATO Nation

Russia's ambassador in London has outlined the most "extreme measure" it could take against the U.K.—severing diplomatic ties with the NATO military alliance member.

In an interview published on Monday by pro-Kremlin newspaper Izvestia, Andrei Kelin said relations between Moscow and London are "undoubtedly at a very low level" and have been deteriorating for years, to the extent that the U.K. could be the first NATO nation Russia severs diplomatic ties with.

Kelin said relations between the two nations began to collapse in 2018, after the poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal in Britain. Skripal, a former Russian intelligence officer who acted as a double agent for the U.K., was targeted with a banned nerve agent in the city of Salisbury.

The ambassador suggested that Russia and the U.K. had maintained business relations until February 24, the day that Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

"Then…London curtailed almost all relations, except for bilateral diplomatic ones," said Kelin. "Severing diplomatic relations is the most extreme measure, which already includes military relations."

But neither London nor Moscow, according to Kelin, are currently interested in breaking off diplomatic relations.

Whether the two nations will be able to restore bilateral ties, will depend on the situation in Ukraine, and on "where it all comes to," Kelin said.

"We had periods of good relations with London—and not only after the First World War and during the Second World War," the ambassador continued, noting that in the mid-90s and the early 2000s, Putin made two visits to the U.K., and Queen Elizabeth II visited St. Petersburg and Moscow.

"Then we built really good relations with the U.K.," he said. "During the London Olympics, there was even a Russian pavilion near Kensington Palace. That is, everything was in our relationship. And even now it is impossible to say that everything is over—it's time to put an end to it. I do not believe in this."

At the G20 in Bali, Indonesia, in November, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and urged Putin to "get out of" the country.

The U.K. would "back Ukraine for as long as it takes" Sunak told the G20 summit of world leaders, which was attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

It was Sunak's first G20 summit since he became U.K. prime minister, replacing Liz Truss in October.

"It is notable that Putin didn't feel able to join us here. Maybe if he had, we could get on with sorting things out," Sunak said. "The single biggest difference that anyone could make is for Russia to get out of Ukraine and end this barbaric war."

Putin didn't congratulate Sunak after he was appointed U.K. leader. His spokesman Dmitry Peskov said this was because Britain is considered an "unfriendly" country by the Kremlin.

Newsweek has reached out to Russian and British authorities for comment.

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