The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCDO) has held meetings with their Russian counterparts and such talks only happen when it is “absolutely necessary.”
Shortages of grain and nuclear safety fears would generally cause such meetings to be held as both governments are trying to keep the back channels open as the war continues.
The FCDO insisted the meetings were “absolutely necessary” to maintain “open dialogue” with counterparts during the war in Ukraine and it is believed meetings took place in Vienna and New York.
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The FCDO insisted that the dialogue between both countries is in no way designed to broker a peace deal or to insist on territorial divides of Ukraine.
A FCDO spokesperson said, “We have been keeping in contact and we feel it’s crucial to maintain an open dialogue during the war in Ukraine.
“We are in no way divvying up parts of the country or making peace agreements on anyone’s behalf, but it’s vitally important to keep that line of contact open.”
The FCDO spokesperson insisted that such meetings are only held with Russian officials when they believe it is “absolutely necessary.”
The FCDO dismissed any allegations that the talks were aimed at negotiating the end of the Ukraine war.
The FCDO spokesperson insisted such claims were “neither credible nor accurate.”
