Could Brexit unfreeze Anglo-Russian relations? George Galloway thinks so

The UK needs new foreign partners after Brexit and mending ties with Russia looks like a logical step, especially with London not having to observe EU sanctions against Moscow any more, ex-MP George Galloway tells RT.

“Britain has slipped its moorings in the EU and is setting sail for the world,” with last week’s Brexit, Galloway said on Friday, while visiting the RT headquarters in Moscow. Russia is “a major part” of this world, being the largest country in Europe and one of the biggest international economies, he added.

Logically Britain ought to be looking for friends and ought to thaw, if not warm up, its relations with Russia.

There already small signs that reconciliation between London and Moscow is possible, he pointed out.

“The recent decisions of EU sanctions are no longer being applicable for us,” Galloway said, noting that Britain has already announced the lifting of some restriction on certain steel and aluminum products.

One of the main reasons why I supported Brexit – I don’t see why we should make war with people; sanction people on other peoples’ orders.

While the UK definitely has more leeway in policy after the EU divorce, much of Britain’s recent hostility towards Russia seems to have been driven from London itself, rather than from Brussels or its “special relationship” partner in Washington.

The alleged poisoning of double agent Sergei Skripal in Salisbury in March 2018, for which London said Moscow was “highly likely” responsible, was “a very dark cloud over the British-Russian relations,” Galloway said.

By blaming Russia for the attack, Britain reacted in an “intemperate way,” added the former MP. It was “a judgment, which I think history would show to have been ill-founded as so many of our judgments in the 21st century have been.”

While the Skripal affair was “regrettable,” it was a single incident and London and Moscow have to get over it, Galloway argued, “because if we allowed an incident – however bad – to blight forever our international relations, we’ll not be doing any business with anyone.”

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