UK’s ex-ambassador to Russia believes hostility between Russia and West will "erode away"

The UK’s former ambassador to Russia Antony Brenton believes that the diplomatic hostility between the Kremlin and the West will "erode away" within "a few months," because both sides require a functioning relationship, the Independent newspaper reported.

"As part of our sanctions, we are not going to have any high-level contacts with the Russians for a while. This will begin to erode in a few months because you need to have high-level contacts on things," Brenton said.

"We will be slow to resume our ties, but we will in a few months’ time as we need to get back to being able to do business with the Russians," the diplomat added.

According to the Independent, although Brenton said he supported the actions taken by the government, he warned that the language that had been used thus far by government ministers had been "unnecessarily virulent."