Theresa May and Vladimir Putin vow to improve relations as new Prime Minister has first contact with Russian President
Kremlin said both leaders expressed dissatisfaction with current relations between the two nations
THERESA May and Vladimir Putin vowed to improve ties between their nations as the new Prime Minister spoke to the Russian President for the first time since she entered Number 10.
It is the first sign of thawing tensions between the Kremlin and Downing Street, with a spokesman saying both leaders expressed dissatisfaction with current relations.
The UK's relationship with Russia became increasingly strained under former PM David Cameron, following Mr Putin's support for the Syrian regime, the Ukraine crisis, and the recent inquiry in to the 2006 poisoning death of ex-Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko.
Mrs May said she hoped the nations could push forward in an "honest" way despite their differences.
The pair will meet at the G20 summit of world leaders in China next month.
A Downing Street spokeswoman said the leaders discussed common security threats faced by both countries when they spoke on the phone on Tuesday afternoon.
She said: "The Prime Minister noted the importance of the relationship between the UK and Russia and expressed the hope that, despite differences on certain issues, they could communicate in an open and honest way about the issues that mattered most to them.
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"The Prime Minister and president agreed that British and Russian citizens faced common threats from terrorism, and that co-operation on aviation security in particular was a vital part of the international counter-terrorism effort.
"They looked forward to seeing each other at the G20 summit in China next month."
The pair agreed to develop a dialogue between their security agencies over aviation security, the Kremlin added.
And the Russian government said Mrs May also confirmed Britain's intention to participate in the 75th anniversary of the first arrival of vital aid by British wartime convoys to the Russian city of Arkhangelsk, later this month.
It comes after a leaked report suggested the Russian army can outgun British troops on the battlefield, following military advances by the Kremlin.
The assessment by the British Army's warfare branch, warned that Russian weapons, including rocket launchers and air defence systems, were more powerful than their British equivalents.
The report added that UK and its Nato allies were "scrambling to catch up" with Russia's ability to use electronic means to hijack enemy drones and disrupt other military transmissions.