US-Russia talks are viewed as a threat to London’s strategy of “containing” Moscow, according to a statement
The UK is seeking to undermine US President Donald Trump’s efforts to broker a peace resolution in the Ukraine conflict, according to the Russian Foreign Intelligence Agency (SVR).
Trump has sought to repair relations with Moscow since taking office in January. High-level talks in Riyadh last month marked the superpowers’ first diplomatic engagement since Washington broke off contact in 2022, after the escalation of the Ukraine conflict.
In a statement shared with RT on Monday by SVR’s press service, the agency said that British authorities view US-Russia talks as a threat to their strategy of “containing” Moscow by maintaining influence over Ukraine. London fears losing this leverage could disrupt plans to create an anti-Russia “cordon of buffer states” in Europe and impose a naval blockade on Russia, the agency stated.
The SVR also said that British officials are frustrated with Trump for “engaging with Russia as a superpower while showing disregard for “closest allies.”
The agency cited an incident during British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s recent visit to Washington, where he reportedly sought security guarantees for Ukraine in any ceasefire deal. During a joint press conference, Trump allegedly asked whether the UK could stand against Russia alone, a remark said to have unsettled Starmer.
British authorities have prioritized efforts to sabotage US-led peace initiatives on Ukraine, the SVR claimed. It said UK media and NGOs had been tasked with portraying Trump negatively, describing him as a person “with a poor track record in peacekeeping, vulnerable to Kremlin manipulation.”
American and Ukrainian negotiators are set to meet in Saudi Arabia this week after Trump and Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky engaged in a tense exchange at the White House in late February. The meeting, intended as a prelude to the signing of an agreement granting the US access to Ukraine’s rare-earth minerals, eventually turned heated. Trump accused the Ukrainian leader of “gambling with World War III” by resisting peace negotiations with Russia. The confrontation led to the deal being abruptly put on hold.
According to the SVR, the Starmer government plans to strengthen Kiev’s resilience against US pressure by increasing arms supplies. However, it claimed British politicians privately admit these plans may be unfeasible without continued American backing.
Moscow has strongly opposed the deployment of Western troops to Ukraine, warning that without a UN mandate, they would be considered legitimate targets. The Russian Foreign Ministry has also accused the UK and the EU of embarking “on a path of militarism.”
