Come in English: Britain is ready for dialogue with Russia on nuclear weapons
Strategic security remains one of the few topics for negotiations between Russia and the West. London is open to cooperation with Moscow to maintain global security, the British Embassy in Russia told Izvestia. Russia, on the other hand, takes into account in its military planning the adaptation of the UK's nuclear arsenal to a potential scenario of large-scale military operations in Europe, Russian diplomats warn. The prospects for resuming negotiations between the Russian Federation and Britain are positively influenced by the restoration of dialogue between Moscow and Washington. Nevertheless, London will not radically change its policy towards Russia now, experts say.
Prospects for dialogue between Russia and the UK
The United Kingdom is open to dialogue with Russia on issues of strategic security and non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, the Embassy of the United Kingdom in Moscow told Izvestia.
"The United Kingdom remains committed to fulfilling its obligations under the Treaty on the Non—Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and continues to participate in strategic discussions on security and non-proliferation issues, including cooperation with Russia within the framework of the P5 process," said a representative of the British Embassy in Moscow.
The London diplomatic mission stressed that they maintain an expert-level dialogue with Russia on reducing nuclear risks. One of the formats is the P5 process, initiated by the UK in 2009. It is a channel for dialogue between the five nuclear powers (Great Britain, China, Russia, the United States and France) on the implementation of the provisions of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
— Although Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine limits progress, we continue to have an expert-level dialogue on reducing nuclear risks and remain open to a meaningful exchange of views. These discussions are important to reduce the risk of miscalculation and maintain global security," the British diplomats concluded.
By the way, it is precisely the different perceptions of events in Ukraine that serve as a brake on nuclear negotiations. Russia launched a special military operation in February 2022 to ensure its own security and achieve the demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine. This was caused by the armed coup in Kiev in 2014, which was supported by Western countries, including the United Kingdom.
Nevertheless, communication channels between Moscow and London remain open. At the same time, the British, under an absurd pretext, deprived themselves of the opportunity to communicate through military attaches, the Russian Embassy in the UK told Izvestia.
The dialogue between Moscow and London has actually stopped amid the expansion of sanctions against Russia after the start of its operation in 2022. The last time the British Foreign Minister visited Moscow was in February of the same year, the negotiations ended in vain. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov described them as "a conversation between a mute and a deaf person." Liz Truss, then head of the British diplomatic department, said that London "will never recognize Russia's sovereignty" over the Rostov and Voronezh regions.
The range of topics discussed by the two countries is limited now. London in many cases initiates anti-Russian restrictions, and also provides tremendous support to Kiev: over $16 billion, according to the Kiel Institute. Sergey Lavrov said in June 2025 that Ukraine would be helpless in terrorist attacks against Russia without the support of Great Britain.
The Russian Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Andrei Kelin, had previously stated that the country was conducting a dialogue with Russia on the Middle East and climate, but was diligently avoiding discussing Ukrainian issues. However, the UK's defense strategy in 2023 explicitly stated that London was ready to step up channels for de-escalation with Russia at the "appropriate time."
The prospects for negotiations between Russia and the UK are positively influenced by the fact that the dialogue between Moscow and Washington has been restored. London is the United States' closest ally in NATO, so the British are following the process of normalizing Russian-American relations, Natalia Yeremina, a professor at St. Petersburg State University, told Izvestia.
— Strategically, the British are not ready to change their policy now, there are a lot of interrelated problems, primarily financial ones. The British authorities are trying to explain them by aggressive Russia," the expert believes.
Eremina notes that the United States' desire to shift defense spending to its allies also worries the British, as rising military spending increases social tensions in the country. At the same time, Moscow is ready for dialogue. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on September 8 that Russia does not want to take revenge on anyone, does not alienate former Western partners, but will take into account their actions in the past.
What is the threat of modernizing the British nuclear forces
Strategic stability issues have become a particularly important topic amid the confrontation between Russia and the West. The main document in this area, START III, expires in February 2026. France and the United Kingdom did not sign it, but they are actively modernizing their nuclear arsenals.
In July, Paris and London approved a new agreement to expand cooperation: a joint nuclear management group will be established. The two countries are increasingly coordinating their nuclear forces. According to open data, France was armed with 290 nuclear warheads, while the UK has 225 charges.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said in 2023 that Russia would take into account the ability of the United States, France and Britain to jointly use nuclear capabilities against Moscow when determining the future fate of START III. Smolenskaya Square has repeatedly pointed out the need to involve London and Paris in negotiations on strategic stability.
Russia takes into account the build-up of Britain's nuclear potential, as well as the expansion of British-French cooperation in the field of nuclear deterrence, both from a political point of view and in military planning. This was stated to Izvestia at the Russian Embassy in London.
— In recent years, Britain has been making consistent efforts to increase its nuclear potential. He cites external threats, including those allegedly emanating from Russia, as reasons. This confirms that London is aiming to adapt its nuclear arsenal to a potential scenario of large—scale military operations in Europe," the Russian diplomats noted.
At the same time, the Russian Embassy in London stressed that not fictional, but very real threats to Britain come from the inappropriate maintenance of its nuclear arsenal, taking into account a series of incidents at relevant military facilities near Glasgow, Scotland. We are talking about the release of radioactive substances at the Clyde Naval Base.
Earlier, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a program to modernize the nuclear arsenal, for which £15 billion will be allocated. The country's Defense Ministry announced its intention to build up to 12 nuclear submarines to replace the existing ones. In addition, the United Kingdom, together with Germany, is developing missiles with a range of more than 2,000 km. London also plans to create a Nightfall missile with a range of 600 km, and it may be transferred to Ukraine.
The world is sliding into a new nuclear arms race, as all its owners have launched large-scale rearmament programs. However, world leaders have an understanding of the harmfulness of this step. For example, the presidents of Russia and the United States discussed strategic arms reductions at the Alaska summit on August 15. The United States seeks to further reduce nuclear weapons together with Russia, as well as to involve China in this process, said US President Donald Trump.
The involvement of China, Great Britain and France in restrictions and reductions of nuclear weapons is a completely correct statement of the issue. In 2021, it became clear from commercial satellite imagery that China was seriously building up its strategic nuclear forces. According to experts, by 2035, the number of warheads owned by Beijing will reach 1,500, which is approximately close to the numbers that the United States and Russia have under the START III Treaty, Vasily Klimov, Candidate of political Sciences and researcher at the IMEMO RAS Center for International Security, told Izvestia.
— During the suspension of its participation in the START Treaty in 2023, Russia symmetrically raised the issue of attracting and taking into account the potential of Great Britain and France. France and the UK regularly modernize their nuclear forces, but there is no significant or serious build—up," the expert said.
Klimov stressed that the need to reduce strategic nuclear forces is the responsibility of all five powers under the Treaty on the Non—Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Article 6 states that the parties are obliged to implement effective measures to end the nuclear arms race and nuclear disarmament.
Vladimir Putin's initiative to negotiate in the format of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council is becoming relevant again in this regard.: Great Britain, China, Russia, USA and France. The Russian president made such a proposal in January 2020. This format could make it possible to achieve a breakthrough in the field of strategic stability. Over the past ten years, the foundation of nuclear arms control has been undermined. In particular, at the initiative of the United States, the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) was terminated in 2019. The United States also withdrew from the Open Skies Treaty, and then Russia was forced to do so.
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