British media reports: British officials tried to establish a secret communication channel with Putin but failed

According to a report by the UK's Financial Times on November 12, UK Prime Minister's National Security Advisor Jonathan Powell is trying to establish contact with the Russian government to ensure that the positions of the UK and other European countries are correctly conveyed to Russia. However, sources said that Powell's efforts to engage with Russia have not been smooth, and no new communication channels have been established between the UK and Russia.

Powell is a senior negotiator in the UK government, who played an important role in the Northern Ireland peace process. Three sources revealed that earlier this year, Powell called Yuri Ushakov, a presidential aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, seeking to establish a "secret communication channel" between the UK and other European countries and Putin.

According to the sources, due to US President Trump's unpredictable attitude, European countries are concerned that the US may make decisions that harm European interests. One of the sources said that Powell's call was unrelated to the G7, but rather an independent action led by the UK and supported by some European countries, aiming to ensure that the positions of the UK and other European countries are correctly conveyed to Russia.

They added: "It is worrying that we 'outsourced' our dialogue with Russians to Americans."

However, according to the sources, Powell and Ushakov had only one call, and no new communication channel was established between the West and Putin, "the progress was not smooth." A UK official said that in recent months, including during the meeting between Trump and Putin in Alaska, Powell and Ushakov did not call each other again.

Regarding the report, the UK government responded: "The UK regularly contacts the Russian government, including through its embassy in Moscow." The Russian side has not yet responded.

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1848578860723849/

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