MOSCOW, March 29. /TASS/. The Brexit situation has created nervousness in London, which is negatively affecting the United Kingdom’s relations with Russia, Ambassador Counsellor at the Russian embassy in the UK Ivan Volodin said at the Valdai Discussion Club’s expert meeting on Friday.
"Brexit has nothing to do with Russia but Russian-British relations are - to put it mildly - not in a good state because of it. We have serious political disagreements but they do not stem from the United Kingdom’s EU membership," he said. "It is another thing that Brexit has created a general nervousness in the country. Sometimes it seems that British politicians - not only officials, but parliament members, opposition politicians and the media as well - are using Russia as a tool to show their determination to fight for Great Britain’s national interests and protect Great Britain’s role as a voice promoting Western values," the Russian diplomat added.
According to Volodin, Moscow has the same disagreements with London as it has with Berlin and Paris but the tone of discussions is completely different. "In theory, once things calm down, the situation may turn favorable for a gradual improvement of relations between Moscow and London," he noted.
In the diplomat’s view, after the United Kingdom leaves the European Union, Brussels may mitigate its stance on relations with Moscow for London is considered to be one of the main drivers behind the idea to contain Russia.