UK defence minister favours backchannels with Russia – a diplomacy expert explains why that would be fraught with danger

By David J. Wilcox, Researcher in the Department of International Development, University of Birmingham

Britain’s defence minister, Wes Streeting, has said the UK should establish “additional channels” of communication with Russia as a way to lower the “risk of miscalculation”. His comments come at a time of heightened tension between London and Moscow over the war in Ukraine.

Backchannels have a long history in diplomacy. They have been used by the UK as part of attempts to resolve its dispute…

Read complete article

~	Republican gerrymandering worked pretty well in Texas and Florida, even if it backfired in North Carolina and Ohio

~	MAHA suffered heavy losses in the 2026 midterms, but the movement is far from dead

~	Debate in New York City over city-run groceries is not just about food, but something bigger

~	Hepatitis B: Controlling the virus does not mean a cure

~	South Africa’s diabetes crisis calls for people at risk to be identified earlier

~	Tove Jansson’s illustrations for The Hobbit capture the ‘ecstatic truth’ of childhood

~	Fjord: 2026 Cannes winner fails to engage with the complexity of Norway’s real child welfare controversies

~	Young turtles find refuge in both natural and artificial wetlands in UAE – new study

~	‘Race realism’: why scientifically flawed approach fails to present a realistic view of race

~	The 2% tax hike on rental income is bad for landlords and tenants alike. Here’s what reform looks like