Boris Johnson’s warning to Russia that Britain is ready to retaliate to cyber attacks earned him a rebuke from counterpart Sergey Lavrov as the two met in Moscow.
Noting that bilateral relations were “at a low point”, Mr Lavrov pointedly said that Russia preferred to discuss their differences in private.
Sergei Lavrov during talks with Boris Johnson (Stefan Rousseau/PA)
Mr Johnson told him that, although London and Moscow were at loggerheads over Ukraine, the Balkans and alleged online mischief by the Russians, both sides had a duty to work together on global priorities like preserving the Iranian nuclear deal and countering the threat to stability from North Korea.
And he welcomed signs of increasing trade, cheekily joking that 300 Bentley cars were sold in Russia last year, “not, I believe, necessarily to employees of the Foreign Ministry”.
As he arrived for the first visit to Russia by a British Foreign Secretary for five years, Mr Johnson sent a blunt message to the Kremlin to stop its use of cyberspace to disrupt Western countries.
He told reporters: “The UK is certainly prepared and able to respond, should we so desire.”
Facing Mr Johnson across a conference table at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Guest House in Moscow, Mr Lavrov said: “It is no secret that right now our relations are at a low point.”
The media watches on as Boris Johnson and Sergei Lavrov talk (Stefan Rousseau/PA)
Nothing that Mr Johnson has openly talked about the reasons for the frosty relationship, he added: “You prefer to talk about these reasons publicly, whereas we would prefer to talk about our mutual concerns not before a mike and at a tribune, but directly.”
Mr Johnson told Mr Lavrov: “As you rightly say, Sergey, things are not easy between us at the moment.
“Whatever the difficulties in our relationship – whether over Ukraine, over the western Balkans or what is going on in cyberspace – I agree with you that it’s important to talk about these things and to be frank about them and accept that they are obstructions in our relationship at the moment.
“But we must not let ourselves be defined by these problems.
“We are both P5 members (of the UN Security Council) and have a duty to our countries and the world to work together for peace and security.
“Where we can, I think we can find possibilities of co-operation on issues where I think we have substantial interests in common, such as Iran and the need to continue with the Iranian nuclear deal, such as the imperative to stop North Korea acquiring a nuclear weapon and the need to progress the future for the people of Syria.”
Boris Johnson heads to Moscow (Stefan Rousseau/PA)
Welcoming increased trade and cultural links between the UK and Russia, Mr Johnson said: “I’m delighted to say that there are increasing exports of British kettle crisps to Russia and 300 Bentleys have been sold this year in Russia – not, I believe necessarily to employees of the Foreign Ministry but nonetheless a sign of progress.”
Mr Johnson’s jibe at the possibility of imported luxury cars being snapped up by Russian state officials prompted a silent laugh from Mr Lavrov.