Relationship dossier
Russia
United Kingdom
Relationship assessment
Russia–United Kingdom relations are severely adversarial, with the war in Ukraine at the centre of the confrontation.
Russia toward United Kingdom
-75Russia has pursued policies that have sharply worsened relations with the UK, most notably its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The Russian government has also retaliated against UK sanctions and diplomatic measures. The UK has attributed the 2018 Salisbury poisoning to Russian state actors, a charge Moscow rejected.
United Kingdom toward Russia
-75The UK has imposed extensive sanctions on Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine and provided military assistance to Ukraine. In 2018, the UK expelled 23 Russian diplomats following the Salisbury poisoning; Russia responded with reciprocal expulsions. These measures reflect sustained British opposition to Russian security and foreign policies.
Overall relationship
-75The relationship is structurally defined by major security disputes and sustained confrontation. Russia's war against Ukraine, the UK's sanctions and military support for Ukraine, and the diplomatic crisis following the Salisbury poisoning outweigh earlier periods of engagement.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Relations between Russia and the United Kingdom are marked by severe confrontation, especially since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The UK has imposed extensive sanctions on Russia and provided military support to Ukraine; Russia has retaliated against UK measures and the two governments have repeatedly clashed over security and diplomatic issues. The Salisbury poisoning and reciprocal diplomatic expulsions further illustrate the depth and persistence of the dispute.
Areas of tension
- Russia's war against Ukraine and the UK's support for Ukraine
- UK sanctions on Russia and Russian retaliatory measures
- The Salisbury poisoning and the resulting diplomatic expulsions
- Broader security and intelligence disputes
Key developments
The UK expelled 23 Russian diplomats after attributing the Salisbury poisoning to Russian state actors; Russia retaliated with reciprocal expulsions.
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, prompting extensive UK sanctions and military support for Ukraine.
Major uncertainties
- The extent of any remaining bilateral diplomatic or security communication is unclear.
- The future scope and duration of sanctions and other restrictive measures may change.