The Nature of Relations between Britain and Russia

Al-Rayah Newspaper – Issue 553 – 25/06/2025 AH

(Translated)

By Hassan Hamdan

The nature of relations between Britain and Russia has been highly volatile and tense since the 18th century, with clear and evident hostility between them. For example, Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council, said on 21 April 2023, “Britain always has been, is now, and will be our eternal enemy. At least until such time as their arrogant, despicably dank island sinks into the abyss of the sea from a wave triggered by a cutting-edge Russian weapons system.”

Earlier, on 31 May 2023, Newsweek reported that, “British officials are now a “legitimate military target” for Moscow, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Wednesday, responding to remarks from the U.K.'s foreign secretary that Ukraine has the right to strike military targets inside Russian territory.” In response to British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly's statement that Ukraine has the right to use its force beyond its borders, Medvedev said that the “The goofy officials of the UK, our eternal enemy, should remember that within the framework of the universally accepted international law which regulates modern warfare, including The Hague and Geneva Conventions with their additional protocols, their state can also be qualified as being at war.”

Then, Medvedev stated on 12 January 2024, “I hope that our eternal enemies - the arrogant British - understand that deploying an official military contingent to Ukraine would be a declaration of war against our country.”

Russia inherited both Soviet Union’s problems and its worldview, including its view of the British, along with a deeply rooted hostility, though now with a difference in capabilities and resources.

It is stated in the book, Political Views of Hizb ut-Tahrir, “British foreign policy still operates vigorously against Russia through various means internationally, and as well as in partial policies. Britain continues to adopt patience, deception, and covert methods to keep America as an ally, whilst resisting American foreign policy when it acts against the interests of England. This is whilst there is no hope that Russia will ever be lenient with England...”

Britain, as is well known, is an instigator of war, and it has found in the Ukraine war its desired opportunity for several reasons, including:

1- The pursuit of a global and European role and a foothold for itself, as Britain is known for its cunning, deceit, and craftiness.

2- Preoccupying the United States with the war and attempting to prolong it and, if possible, entangling NATO within it.

3- The divergence in priorities between British and American foreign policy. While the United States sees its top priority as containing the threat of China, then targeting Russia via Europe to weaken both sides and entangle Russia, the American strategy does not aim to completely weaken Russia. Instead, America wants Russia to remain somewhat powerful, as a threat to Europe, in order to keep Europe under the wing of America, and prevent it from pursuing independence, whilst making Russia bear the cost of Europe's protection. This requires Russia to be a fierce claw. In contrast, British foreign policy sees Russia as a top priority, not China. Britain views China as a distant economic threat, and lacks the historical animosity it has with Russia. While Britain acknowledges China's danger, it does not place it at the top of its foreign policy priorities, in the way that the United States does.

Britain found its desired opportunity in the war between Russia and Ukraine, as it began stoking tensions from the outset. John Healey, the former British Defence Secretary announced in 6 September 2024, “The UK will train further cohorts of Ukrainian men and women to become soldiers on British soil, as part of this new government’s commitment to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes.” The former Defence Secretary, John Healey, announced the extension at a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG) at the US Air Force base in Ramstein, Germany, which was also attended by President Zelenskyy and more than 50 other nations. He added, “The extension of this training, which is vital for Ukraine’s defence, is another example of the UK’s ironclad commitment to Ukraine.”

Britain stated, as reported by Sky News on March 6, 2022, that the ceasefire proposed by Russia in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol was likely an attempt to divert international condemnation while giving itself the opportunity to regroup its forces for a renewed attack.

Moscow responded by saying that it would not forget London’s role in arming Kyiv with weapons used against Russian forces and soldiers.

It was reported by The i Paper, published in London by the Daily Mail media group, that Britain has become the top enemy to Russia, after the thaw in relations between Washington and Moscow. The paper attributed this shift, in a report by its chief correspondent Richard Holmes, to the leading role Britain is playing in opposing Russian aggression against Ukraine, which has solidified its position as Moscow's current top enemy.

In light of the close relationship between US President Trump and Russian President Putin, a source reported that a growing sense of mistrust has begun to emerge in the exchange of intelligence between British security officials and their American counterparts. A researcher at the Royal United Services Institute, a defense and security think tank based in London, said that US intelligence agencies are currently so politicized, that their foreign intelligence partners cannot be sure their classified information won’t end up in Russia. He added that there is a tendency among certain individuals or units within US intelligence to pursue their own covert policies. He described this as a highly dangerous development, that could put the security of sources at risk.

It is well known that Britain does not fear the Russian bear, despite the significant disparity in weaponry, equipment, and military strength between them, because it is a member of NATO. Thus, it provokes Russia under the pretext of Russian aggression, and works to demonize Russia with all its might, portraying it as a rogue state that violates international law. Britain has provided financial aid, equipment, training, intelligence, and everything it could in the war. In fact, The i Paper newspaper, in a report on its website, quoted a British intelligence official as saying that in the absence of cooperation with Washington, private defense and security companies might intervene to fill the gap caused by the lack of access to US intelligence.

The situation even escalated to threats of direct involvement in the war, as British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, expressed his country's readiness to send troops to Ukraine, considering Kyiv’s security essential for ensuring the security of both Britain and Europe. Writing in the Daily Telegraph on 17 February 2025, Starmer stated that “The UK is ready to play a leading role in accelerating work on security guarantees for Ukraine. This includes further support for Ukraine’s military, where the UK has already committed £3 billion a year until at least 2030. But it also means being ready and willing to contribute to security guarantees to Ukraine by putting our own troops on the ground if necessary.” Then he added, “US support will remain critical and a US security guarantee is essential for a lasting peace, because only the US can deter Putin from attacking again.”

Britain’s seriousness in its stance became evident when it was revealed that it was indeed behind “Operation Spiderweb,” which resulted in the destruction of forty-one warplanes, including strategic bombers. The operation destroyed more than a third of Russia’s strategic aircraft fleet, between seven to nine strategic bombers of the A-50 Tupolev-95, and Tupolev-22M3 models. Such a high-level operation could not have been carried out by Ukraine, without significant international assistance and substantial international backing.

In an interview with Sky News on 5 June 2025, Andrei Kelin, the Russian ambassador to London claimed Britain had played a major role in the covert operation by providing intelligence. He stated that, “I don't believe that America [is involved], that has been denied by President Trump, but it has not been denied by Britain...”

Trump’s current policy stands in stark contrast to these actions. In statements by White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt, it was said that Trump had no prior knowledge of Kyiv’s drone attacks on Russia.

As for Britain’s stance, marked by silence, it escalates the war, and then waits for a Russian response. If the response is not decisive enough to drag Europe into direct war, Britain eventually claims responsibility for the action after some time.

However, Russia is aware that Britain is behind the operation, as the Russian ambassador to London, Andrei Kelin, accused Britain of participating in the large-scale Ukrainian attack on five airbases inside Russian territory, which resulted in the destruction of dozens of warplanes. He described the operation as a dangerous escalation that could drag the world into a third world war.

Kelin stated in his interview with Sky News, “This kind of attack involves, of course, provision of very high technology, so-called geo-spatial data, which can only be done by those who have it in possession. And this is London and Washington... We perfectly know how much London is involved, how deeply British forces are involved in working together in Ukraine.”

Britain is well aware of the danger of an indirect Russian response. President Putin has repeatedly stated that Moscow has no intention of attacking NATO countries, affirming that such a move “makes no sense.” However, due to a lack of trust in the American ally especially under the Trump administration, Britain has activated strong and ready plans for a range of potential emergency scenarios. The Telegraph reported that Britain is secretly preparing for the possibility of a direct military attack from Russia, amid fears that the country is unprepared for war. The Daily Express quoted a comment by Major James Stephen Heappey, the former British Minister of State for the Armed Forces, regarding increased British defense spending, in which he said that it is a message to Moscow, that Britain is strengthening its armed forces and industrial base and that this is part of its readiness to fight if necessary.

In conclusion, the deeply rooted hostility between the Russia and Britain is evident to all observers. It has surfaced openly and the conflict is now exposed for everyone to see.