A Downing Street spokesperson said:
“The Prime Minister spoke to Russian President Putin this
afternoon ahead of the COP26 Summit.
“He welcomed the steps Russia has taken in recent days to commit
net zero by 2060. The Prime Minister expressed his hope that
Russia will raise that target to achieving net zero by 2050 as
well as making further progress on ending deforestation and an
ambitious Nationally Determined Contribution.
“President Putin expressed his regret that he would not be able
attend the COP26 Summit in person in the light of the coronavirus
situation in Russia.
“The Prime Minister was clear that the UK’s current relationship
with Russia is not the one we want. He said significant bilateral
difficulties remain, including the poisonings in Salisbury in
2018. The Prime Minister also underscored the importance of
Ukrainian sovereignty.
“The Prime Minister said that as fellow permanent members of the
UN Security Council and major world economies with a long, shared
history, the UK and Russia have a responsibility to work together
to tackle shared challenges like climate change and safeguard
international agreements like the Iran Nuclear Deal.
“The leaders also discussed the current situation in Afghanistan.
The Prime Minister stressed the importance of any recognition of
the Taliban being conditional on their behaviour, including
respect for human rights.”
