LONDON, January 27. /TASS/. The UK should concentrate on avoiding confrontation with Russia, instead of contemplating the possibility of military conflict between the two countries, Ambassador to London Andrey Kelin said after attending a commemoration to the 80th anniversary of the end to the Siege of Leningrad.

"Today, amid a tense political environment, all of a sudden, we heard calls to get ready for a war on Russia in the uncertain future. We have heeded and taken note of this. We have given no cause for this. In this regard, it is crucial that young politicians know, study and memorize the lessons of history. Nobody has ever been able to defeat us. This is vital. Most British people have well preserved in their memory the fact that it was the Soviet Union that, alongside the allies, made a decisive contribution to our victory over Nazi Germany," he said.

"Our president [Vladimir Putin], when he was accepting credentials from new [British] Ambassador to Moscow [Nigel] Casey, said that interaction during those tough years laid the foundation for the creation of new global relations. In this regard, I would like to say that nowadays it is necessary not to ponder a potential war against Russia, but about how to get out of that spiral of confrontation and how to establish a renewed system of international relations based on equality, mutual respect and the regard for security interests," Kelin emphasized.

The Russian ambassador said that the British military command’s calls were aimed at acquiring extra funding for the national defense sector.

"Unseasoned young politicians who have never been to combat and do even remember what the Cold War was like, are making flippant statements that the army must be reinforced and they must get ready for a war - either in 2044 or in two years - opinions are divided on this point. Everything is being done for one simple purpose, which is to try once again to stir up society in order to squeeze some money out to build up the army and armed forces. This might be one of the last fizzling attempts to galvanize general attitudes in favor of militarization," he pointed out.