A senior aide to the Russian president, Yury Ushakov, had a brief phone conversation with Jonathan Powell, the British national security adviser, earlier this year, as confirmed by the Kremlin on Wednesday.
The Financial Times previously reported that Powell reached out to Ushakov in January in an effort to establish a confidential communication channel with Moscow. However, the discussion apparently did not go well and did not result in ongoing dialogue.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov acknowledged the interaction during a news briefing, stating, “It’s true that a conversation took place. However, it didn’t progress beyond that.”
He added that Powell showed a strong desire to articulate Europe’s stance but was less open to considering Russia’s perspective. “Naturally, without a reciprocal exchange of ideas, the conversation couldn’t advance further,” Peskov explained.
According to the Financial Times’ report, the call was an initiative from London, supported by some European partners, due to fears that U.S. President Donald Trump’s erratic approach to Ukraine could undermine European interests.
“There is a concern that we are delegating discussions with Russia to the Americans,” a European official was quoted as saying.
Downing Street responded to the Financial Times by stating that it is “normal” for the UK to engage with Russia through diplomatic means, although they refrained from providing additional comments.
Following Trump’s inauguration in January, direct dialogues between Washington and Moscow concerning Ukraine resumed. In August, the U.S. president and Putin met in Alaska, but the summit did not yield any significant progress towards a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict.
The Financial Times noted that Powell had not communicated with Ushakov “in recent months,” and a European official raised concerns that reaching out “before implementing additional pressure” through sanctions was premature.
Last month, the U.S. and the UK imposed sanctions on Russia’s major oil firms, Rosneft and Lukoil.
