UK seeks to ‘reboot’ high-level military contacts with Russia — The Times

UK seeks to ‘reboot’ high-level military contacts with Russia — The Times According to the report, UK military chiefs fear an "unintended escalation" caused by the lack of dialogue with MoscowLONDON, August 11. /TASS/. The United Kingdom is interested in resuming contacts with the Russian top brass to avoid incidents that may trigger a direct military confrontation between the two states, The Times wrote. According to the report, UK military chiefs fear an "unintended escalation" caused by the lack of dialogue with Moscow. The question of reopening channels of military communication was raised after Russia’s Admiral Grigorovich frigate had to fire warning shots in the English Channel during an unsafe approach by a UK-flagged yacht. Chief of the Russian General Staff Valery Gerasimov last spoke to chief of the UK defense staff Adm. Tony Radakin in September 2022. The latest reported conversation between the defense ministers of the two countries occurred in October 2022, when Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu phoned his UK counterpart Ben Wallace to express his concerns about the possibility of provocative acts on the part of Ukraine with the use of a dirty bomb. Attempts to resume dialogue have been unsuccessful since. A spokesperson for the UK government confirmed London’s intention to restart military communication channels with Moscow. "Our Embassy in Moscow enables us to deliver clear and robust messages directly to the Russian Government, helping to protect UK interests and manage risks of escalation," she said. Expulsion of attaches According to The Times, normally negotiations between top military officials are organized by military attaches, but the UK expelled Russia’s envoy in 2024, claiming that he was an "undeclared military intelligence officer." Moscow took reciprocal measures. Former UK military attache in Russia and Ukraine John Foreman described London’s decision as counter-productive and urged the UK authorities to resume ties with Russia. "A major misunderstanding could ultimately lead to people dying," he said. "You need to talk face to face to get any traction with the Russians." In his view, "talking clearly and directly with your adversary in private isn’t weakness." According to the newspaper, the hotline between the two nations still exists, but it is not being used as often as was before the start of the special military operation in Ukraine. According to Foreman, this line alone is not enough to avert miscalculations. 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