Security Narratives in Europe:A Wide Range of Views

There was a marked change in the UK official assessment of, and position towards, Russia between the 2010 and 2015 National Security Strategy papers. However, while Russia was marked out explicitly as a potential threat in the 2015 assessment, London initially continued a somewhat flaccid and subdued stance towards Moscow until late 2016, when a harder approach emerged. This was, broadly speaking, the end of a quarter of a century attempt by London to build bridges with Moscow. The UK had made the strongest efforts to have a friendly, supportive and cooperative relationship with Russia since the end of the Cold War. At the same time, the two countries remained in deep competition and, in effect, covert confrontation - largely a result of the failure of some sectors in the Russian security apparatus fully to recognise the end of the Cold War, leaving the UK with little alternative but to engage.