Moscow considering cutting off diplomatic relations with the West, says Kremlin

A picture of Russia's President Vladimir Putin on a billboard in Pyongyang during his two-day visit to North Korea earlier this month. Photo by contributor/Getty Images

Guy Faulconbridge

Russia is considering a possible downgrading of relations with the West due to the deeper involvement of the United States and its allies in the Ukraine war, but no decision had yet been taken, the Kremlin said yesterday.

A downgrading of relations – or even breaking them off – would illustrate the gravity of the confrontation between Russia and the West over Ukraine after an escalation in tensions over the war in recent months.