Kremlin Acknowledges Unsuccessful Attempt to Establish Communication with U.K. Security Adviser

A Kremlin spokesperson confirmed on Wednesday that Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov had a singular phone conversation with British national security adviser Jonathan Powell earlier this year.

According to the Financial Times, Powell reached out to Ushakov in January to initiate a private communication channel with Moscow, but the discussion “did not go well” and did not result in establishing ongoing contact.

“There was indeed a conversation, that’s true. However, the dialogue did not progress further,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated during a daily press briefing.

“Powell was quite eager to convey the perspective of the Europeans but did not show much interest in understanding our viewpoint. Without a reciprocal exchange of ideas, the conversation reached a standstill,” he added.

The Financial Times suggested that the call was an independent effort by London, supported by certain European allies, amid concerns that U.S. President Donald Trump’s unpredictable approach to Ukraine could compromise EU interests.

“One European official remarked that there is a concern about outsourcing discussions with the Russians to the Americans,” the report noted.

Downing Street informed the Financial Times that it is “standard” for the UK to interact with Russia through diplomatic means, but opted not to provide any additional comments.

Trump assumed the presidency in January, following which Washington and Moscow resumed direct negotiations regarding Ukraine. In August, he subsequently met with Putin in Alaska for a summit that ultimately did not achieve any significant progress toward a ceasefire in the conflict.

The Financial Times also mentioned that Powell had not communicated with Ushakov “in recent months,” while one European official voiced worries that his attempts to engage “before further pressure is imposed” through sanctions were premature.

Last month, both the U.S. and the UK imposed sanctions on Russia’s largest oil firms, Rosneft and Lukoil.