London plans to use 'Russian trump card' in Brexit negotiations

Speculation on “Russian aggression” will help the British government discuss with its former partners in the European Union the most favorable Brexit scenario, as the Daily Telegraph writes.

The editorial office has in its possession the minutes of a Government meeting on March 7. The document states that a “strong position” on national security issues will allow London to conclude “a beneficial free trade agreement”. At the same time, in negotiations with EU representatives, British politicians should pay special attention to the issue of “Russian aggression”.

An unnamed government source confirmed to the Telegraph the information provided in the report. "Such an unfavorable situation in the security sphere has not been seen since the Cold War. It all comes down to Russia's growing aggression. The European Union needs our potential," - said the head of the Ministry of Defense. These statements were made by Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson at a cabinet meeting; Defense Secretary Michael Fallon also supported the head of the British diplomatic service.

“When we started the negotiations, defense and security issues were our main trump cards,” - as the newspaper's interlocutor noted, but he refused to give official comments.

In the summer of 2016, the British people voted to leave the EU. The Brexit process began on March 29, when Prime Minister Teresa May formally notified the leaders of the European Union of the initiation of Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty.

According to Sputnik