UK adviser Jonathan Powell attempted secret backchannel to Putin amid Trump concerns

UK national security adviser Jonathan Powell attempted to open a secret communication channel with Russian President Vladimir Putin amid concerns in London and among its closest European allies that the Trump administration might disregard their interests regarding Ukraine.

According to a claim in the Financial Times (FT), Powell, an experienced negotiator who played a key role in securing the Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland, called Putin’s foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov, earlier this year.

According to sources, Powell’s approach was intended to ensure that the position of the United Kingdom and other European countries was conveyed “accurately” to the Russians.

This initiative occurred due to concerns in Europe about US President Donald Trump’s “inconsistent” approach to supporting Ukraine and worries that US interests were diverging from those of European countries under the Trump administration.

However, according to sources, the phone call between Powell and Ushakov was a one-time event and failed to open a new communication channel to Putin’s inner circle. One source said the call “did not go well.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Wednesday following the publication of the FT report, “Such a contact did occur. The dialogue did not continue. During this contact, the interlocutor showed a strong desire to present the European position but showed no intention or willingness to listen to our position. Since a mutual exchange of views was impossible, the dialogue did not develop further.”

A European official stated that Powell’s call was not part of a coordinated G7 initiative but was an independent UK effort supported by some European capitals.

The official added, “Our concern was that we were ceding discussions with the Russians to the Americans.”

The British government said it was normal for the United Kingdom to “regularly engage with the Russian government, including through our embassy in Moscow.”

A British official said that Powell has not spoken with Ushakov in recent months, including around the time of Trump’s unilateral meeting with Putin in Alaska in August.

This meeting was a period of great concern for European powers. The British official did not deny that Powell, who was tasked by Prime Minister Keir Starmer last year, was attempting to establish a backchannel.

Starmer and other European leaders have pushed to keep Trump on their side, even flying to Washington for a meeting with him to support Zelenskyy just days after the Alaska summit.

Two weeks ago, the US imposed the toughest sanctions on Russia’s oil sector since the war began, and Trump openly stated that nuclear weapons testing could resume for the first time in 30 years.

A second European official said that some allies were concerned about Powell’s initiative “without more pressure” being applied to Russia through sanctions and other measures aimed at forcing Moscow to negotiate an end to the war from the weakest possible position.

They also added that there were fears the Trump administration could be displeased by Powell’s attempt to open a separate communication channel outside of US-led efforts to secure peace talks.