Britain’s Johnson: Current relationship with Russia ‘not the one we want’

LONDON: UK Minister Boris Johnson told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday that Britain’s “current relationship with Russia is not the one we want,” and that the two countries have a “responsibility to work together.” Issues including the 2018 Salisbury nerve agent attack and Russia’s actions in Ukraine meant “significant bilateral difficulties remain.” They discussed issues including climate change and Afghanistan in a phone call. “The prime minister also underscored the importance of Ukrainian sovereignty. “The prime minister said that as fellow permanent members of the UN Security Council and major world economies with a long, shared history, the UK and Russia have a responsibility to work together to tackle shared challenges like climate change and safeguard international agreements like the Iran nuclear deal.” On Afghanistan, Johnson “stressed the importance of any recognition of the Taliban being conditional on their behaviour, including respect for human rights.”