The UK has taken an unwavering anti-Russian stance in recent years, Russias ambassador to London has said

British diplomats have resorted to only using ultimatums with their international counterparts, Russia's ambassador to London, Andrey Kelin, said in an interview to RIA Novosti published on Sunday.

On Tuesday, Downing Street announced it would impose its second major package of sanctions on Russia this month, while once again demanding that Moscow agree to a full and unconditional ceasefire in the Ukraine conflict. The UK, along with France and Germany, had issued similar demands and threatened further sanctions in the lead-up to the direct peace talks between Kiev and Moscow last week in Istanbul.

"I must say that over the past three years, I have heard many ultimatums here, especially in the Foreign Office. It seems that London has forgotten how to speak differently," Kelin told RIA. He added that ambassadors from some other nations in London have also expressed concerns about "the tone that British diplomacy has adopted."

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is no less "warlike" than his predecessors, according to the Russian diplomat. Starmer and former UK leaders Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, and Rishi Sunak have all demonstrated the "same belligerence and irresponsibility in assessing the international situation and the consequences of their actions," Kelin said. Despite changes in leadership, the UK has maintained a consistent "anti-Russian course and senseless, reckless support for Ukraine," he added.

Both "our bilateral relations" and "the security situation in Europe" would benefit if London relearned how "to speak respectfully and listen," the ambassador said.

Commenting on the latest round of sanctions announced by Downing Street, the Russian embassy in the UK emphasized that neither "unlawful restrictive measures" nor "ultimatums and threats" can influence Moscow's chosen path.

Russia will not allow itself to be spoken to in such a way, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, commenting on last week's sanctions threats. "The language of ultimatums is unacceptable for Russia," he stressed.

Russia knows how to adapt to further Western restrictive measures and how to minimize their effect, Russian officials say. Despite nearly 29,000 sanctions having been imposed by the West on Russia in recent years, the Russian economy has only grown more resilient, President Vladimir Putin said in March.

(RT.com)