Kremlin rules out improved UK ties after Starmer exit

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday that the resignation of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was unlikely to herald an improvement in Russia's strained relations with the United Kingdom, noting that the outgoing premier would not be remembered in Moscow for efforts to advance bilateral ties.

UK-Russia relations

Speaking at a press briefing in Moscow, Peskov stated that Britain's political landscape offered little prospect of a policy shift toward the Kremlin. "There are many questions about whether things could improve after him, but it is unlikely that anyone on Britain's political scene will have a position on our bilateral relations that differs significantly from Keir Starmer's," he said, adding that Starmer's tenure had produced no meaningful breakthrough in diplomatic engagement.

Energy infrastructure

Turning to recent developments in the conflict, Peskov told reporters that authorities were working to mitigate the effects of Ukrainian strikes on Russia's energy infrastructure and ensure fuel supplies to residents. His comments came as officials announced restrictions on fuel sales at gas stations in some regions, with supplies temporarily reserved for state services responsible for public safety — a measure Peskov said required close coordination with oil companies to address supply chain disruptions.

Regional diplomacy

The spokesman also disclosed that President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko planned to hold talks in the near future, providing an opportunity to discuss threats made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy toward Belarus. Peskov characterized Zelenskyy's statements as interference in the internal affairs of another country and said Russia had no doubt that Minsk was capable of safeguarding its sovereignty.

In a separate matter, Peskov confirmed that contacts had taken place between Russian and Serbian counterparts regarding the future of Serbia's oil company NIS, in which Russia's Gazprom holds a stake. He said discussions were commercial in nature and declined to disclose details, though he acknowledged that Russian energy assets linked to NIS have faced pressure from US sanctions imposed on the company's Russian shareholders.