UK defence minister calls for new military hotline with Russia

British Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said the UK is seeking to establish direct military communication channels with Russia to reduce the risk of miscalculation, noting that previous attempts have been rejected and that Britain now lags behind France and Germany in its level of engagement with Moscow.

Streeting told the Financial Times that the embassy in Moscow serves as an "important channel," but he prefers "additional channels, especially at the direct military level."

British officials said London has tried to restore secret communication channels with senior Russian defence officials, but these efforts have been rebuffed. There have been no talks between the UK Chief of Defence Staff or Defence Secretary and their Russian counterparts since 2022.

By contrast, German Foreign Minister Johan Wadephul met his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in September, marking the first such meeting since the Russia-Ukraine war began in 2022. French President Emmanuel Macron also sent his diplomatic adviser to meet senior Kremlin officials in February.

The British defence secretary noted that London has observed several incidents this year that some describe as "hybrid threats," which he prefers to call "state-sponsored terrorism."

Wes Streeting urged the European Union not to use "Made in Europe" rules to restrict British companies from participating in European arms procurement deals, a point he raised with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius during meetings last week.