UK is 'overtly hostile' to us, says Putin's ambassador: Russia's man in London accuses Nato of preparing for a major war but says the Kremlin does not see Britain as a threat 

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Russian Ambassador to the UK Alexander Yakovenko and his Nana

Russia's top UK diplomat last night accused Britain of ‘overt hostility’ and of working with Nato to prepare for a ‘major war’ in Europe.

Ambassador Alexander Yakovenko said the Kremlin did not see Britain as a threat and hoped for ‘real co-operation’, as he downplayed Russia’s ships in the English Channel as ‘no grounds for conflict’.

And with the battle for Aleppo almost over, he declared Russia ‘will never walk away’ from the conflict in Syria in the same way the Soviet Union did not stop until the Nazis were defeated in Germany.

In his first major interview amid heightened diplomatic tensions, Mr Yakovenko, 62, told the Mail: ‘Russia is ready to restore its relations with the UK insofar as the British Government is willing to do likewise.

‘We will take reciprocal steps if the British leadership decides to change its stance towards Russia.’

He said the UK-Russia political relationship in recent years had been ‘quite volatile’, with ‘abrupt changes from relatively good to overt hostility’. But he added that Russia had ‘never considered Nato and Great Britain as a threat’, as he accused the alliance of ‘confrontational measures’ that had forced Russian president Vladimir Putin to respond with a military build-up.

Just weeks after the UK announced it would send hundreds of soldiers to the Baltic States to deter Russian aggression, Mr Yakovenko said Britain’s ‘eastward steps contribute to the deterioration of the current situation’, adding: ‘It looks like Nato is getting prepared for a major war in Europe, but still doesn’t know how to handle such an eventuality, which will require a decade-long arms race.

‘All these confrontational measures make us respond by ensuring that our defences are strong enough in case of any contingency.’

He said Nato’s build-up close to Russia’s borders ‘is the essence of the systemic problems that have soured Russia’s relations with the United States and other Nato members’. Career diplomat Mr Yakovenko said the greatest problems in relations were ‘due to the lack of trust’ as he called for a ‘collective security’ between all the nations.

Mr Putin’s military has repeatedly sent warships through the Channel and despatched planes to buzz the UK’s airspace in what have been described as acts of provocation.

But Mr Yakovenko, who was handed the ambassadorial role in London in 2011 and has been forced to defend the Kremlin on controversial issues such as the downing of the MH17 flight over the Ukraine and the murder of Alexander Litvinenko, said: ‘There is no grounds for conflict.’

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives to speak during a reception marking the Heroes of the Farherland's Day at the Grand Kremlin Palace on December 9, 2016 in Moscow

He added: ‘One should not forget that Russia is a major military power and we have got to keep our military in good shape and that means flying and sailing past the British Isles. That is pure geography. I can assure you that Russia doesn’t view Britain as a strategic adversary, and it just cannot be. There is nothing strategic for us to contest.’

He said Russia wanted co-operation in the fight against terrorism, including having the countries’ military and Special Forces working together. Moscow was ‘hopeful’ that Britain’s decision to leave the European Union would lead to greater co-operation between the two world powers.

‘The Soviet Union is gone and the historical West is going, too. We are witnessing the end of ideology, which offers a unique opportunity to mend Europe’s divide and put in place a truly regional system of collective security for all.’

Sir Michael Fallon accused Mr Putin of causing an ‘intolerable’ situation in Aleppo

He dismissed claims of a new Cold War, adding that Britain, the US and Russia were ‘again on the same side, hopefully, the side of history’.

He added: ‘This holds the promise of bringing the great post-Cold War misunderstanding between Russian and the West to an end.’

Diplomatic tensions between the UK and Russia have deteriorated over Moscow’s bombing campaign in Aleppo – described as a humanitarian catastrophe.

Asked about Britain and other Western leaders’ accusations that Russia was helping to prop up Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s regime and bomb civilians in the process, Mr Yakovenko denied any war crimes. 

He said: ‘Over the past few days our military helped over 80,000 civilians leave Aleppo, still under the control of the jihadists, mostly foreigners, who intend to fight to the bitter end.

‘Russia will never walk away and leave the business of fighting terror unfinished, like we didn’t stop on our borders fighting Napoleonic France and Nazi Germany.’

In the Commons yesterday, Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon accused Mr Putin of causing an ‘intolerable’ situation in Aleppo where hospitals were being bombed and aid could not get through.

Yesterday the Syrian military said the battle for the city was almost over, with government forces in control of 99 per cent of the formerly rebel-held suburbs.

An emergency Commons debate on what the UK can do to help rescue civilians from Aleppo will take place today.