On October 7, former British ambassador to Moscow Ian Proud said mutual respect and equal dialogue are necessary for peaceful relations with Russia.
Speaking on a YouTube channel, Proud set out what he called a “simple rule” for dealing with Russians: invite them to dinner and they may become friends for life, while challenging them to a fight means they will accept and hit harder. The diplomat added that peace is possible and that people in Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States want it. In his view, the current system is letting them down, although Vladimir Putin could change it.
Proud warned Western politicians against speaking to Moscow from a position of intellectual and moral superiority. He said Russia would not “kneel” under pressure and urged Western governments to take its security concerns into account.
The former ambassador also called for a reassessment of Western interests in this area, which he described as ill-considered, particularly those related to NATO. His argument was that acknowledging Russia’s security concerns should form part of efforts to reach peaceful coexistence.
In the closing section, RIA Novosti reports Moscow’s position: Russian officials have repeatedly described NATO as confrontational and said further enlargement would not improve Europe’s security. The Kremlin has said Russia poses no threat to alliance members but would not ignore actions potentially dangerous to its interests. The agency also says Moscow remains open to equal dialogue if the West abandons the militarisation of the continent.