Boris Johnson today stated to Vladimir Putin that there are still’significant bilateral problems’ in the UK-Russia relationship.
During a phone call, the Prime Minister stated to the Russian President that the current relationship between Moscow and Washington ‘isn’t the one we want’.
But he said issues including the 2018 Salisbury nerve agent attack and Russia’s actions in Ukraine mean the two nations are still at odds.
Johnson was pleased with Russia’s recent commitment of net zero emissions by 2060. However, he urged his counterpart to go even further and move the target to 2050.
Boris Johnson today said to Vladimir Putin that “significant bilateral difficulties remain” in the UK-Russian relationship
During a telephone conversation, the Prime Minister informed the Russian President that the current relationship with Moscow was not what they want.
These leaders spoke before the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, which starts next Sunday.
Last week, the Kremlin stated that Putin would not attend the gathering of world leaders due to Russia’s worsening coronavirus situation.
A Downing Street spokesman said: ‘The Prime Minister spoke to Russian President Putin this afternoon ahead of the COP26 Summit.
“He praised the recent steps Russia took to achieve net zero by 2060. The Prime Minister expressed hope that Russia will increase its target to net zero by 2050, as well as make further progress in ending deforestation as well as a ambitious Nationally Determined Contribution.
‘President Putin expressed regret that he was unable to attend the COP26 Summit in Person due to the coronavirus situation.
‘The Prime Minster was clear that the UK’s current relationship with Russia was not the one we want.
“He stated that significant bilateral problems remain, including the poisonings at Salisbury in 2018.
“The Prime Minister also stressed the importance of Ukrainian sovereignty.”
According to Mr Johnson, despite their difficult relationship, they can work together to solve shared challenges.
“The Prime Minister stated that Russia and the UK are permanent members of UN Security Council and have a long history. They share a responsibility to work together to address common challenges such as climate change and protect international agreements like the Iran Nuclear Deal.” Number 10 added.
“The leaders also discussed current events in Afghanistan. The Prime Minister stressed the importance that any recognition of the Taliban be subject to their conduct, including respect for human right’.