UK PM's adviser says contacts with Russia remain necessary
UK Prime Minister's national security adviser Jonathan Powell said maintaining contact with Russia and Vladimir Putin is important to avoid miscalculation, adding that Europe must play a role in ending the war.
Jonathan Powell, the UK Prime Minister's national security adviser, said he believes it is necessary to maintain contacts with Russia. He made the remarks on Friday, September 11, at the annual YES conference in Kyiv, organized by the Victor Pinchuk Foundation.
Commenting on recent trips by US President Donald Trump's special envoys to Moscow, Powell stressed the importance of keeping channels open with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin.
Avoiding miscalculation
According to Powell, staying in contact is essential to prevent a situation where Russia misunderstands where the West's "red lines" lie. This, he said, is why it was important for the CIA to also travel to Moscow. He expressed confidence that dialogue must continue, noting that only through such contact could an eventual way out of the current situation be identified — something that cannot happen without talking to the Russians.
Europe's role in negotiations
Powell said Europe must take on a role in this process, adding that he believed his French and German counterparts would agree with this position. He explained that Europe needs to participate in talks on ending the Russia-Ukraine war, since several issues Russia wants addressed directly concern Europe rather than just the United States — including the return of frozen assets and the creation of a new European security architecture.
Background: on September 6, Trump's special representative Steve Witkoff said the task of the US delegation that visited Kyiv and Moscow was to "bring the sides closer together."
