Government must start holding regular top level talks with the Kremlin as UK cannot ignore Russia, influential committee says
Foreign Affairs committee said Boris Johnson is playing into Putin's hands by accusing him of war crimes in Syria without producing proof
THE GOVERNMENT must start holding regular top level talks with the Kremlin as failure to engage with Russia is not an option, according to an influential committee.
But the Foreign Office does not appear to know what it wants from relations with Moscow, and must plough extra resources into it, according to MPs on the Foreign Affairs committee.
And they said Boris Johnson is playing into Vladimir Putin's hands by accusing the Russian of war crimes in Syria without producing proof.
The Foreign Secretary risked bolstering Kremlin claims that it was being held to hypocritical standards by the West if he continued to repeat the allegations, it said.
Britain was "not Russia's enemy" and the Government must engage with "frankness and honesty" while sticking to its values, the committee concluded.
Chairman Crispin Blunt said: "Given Russia's size and history, the relationship between our two countries matters. But it is fraught.
"Refusal to engage with Russia is not a viable, long-term policy option."
Relations with Moscow are at their most strained since the end of the Cold War following a series of crises since the murder of British citizen Alexander Litvinenko by polonium poisoning.
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The war with Georgia, annexation of Crimea, controversial intervention in Syria civil war, cyber attacks and attempts to subvert Western elections have further fuelled tensions.
Policymakers had failed to take account of Moscow's view of its place in the world following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the report found.
It said international sanctions may prove difficult to maintain in the face of Brexit and Donald Trump's Russia-friendly US administration.
The Government should introduce powers to seize the assets of Russians living in Britain associated with Putin or who were responsible for human rights abuses, MPs said.
They also raised concerns about the rise of fake news and called on regulators to continue to take actions against Russian broadcasters in the UK for false reports.
Mr Blunt said: "The UK must continue to challenge Russia on actions that violate international humanitarian law in Syria or elsewhere, not least its illegal annexation of Crimea.”
In response the Foreign Office said that while the UK had "significant differences" with Russia, not least over Ukraine and Syria, they did engage with Moscow when it was in British interests to do so.
"Our objectives are clear. We protect UK and our allies' interests, uphold the rules-based international order and global security, promote our values, including human rights, and build stronger links between the British and Russian people," a spokeswoman said.
"We have increased resources on Russia across government, both in London and overseas, to deliver this policy."