Russia’s President Vladimir Putin would be the only winner in the event of Britain crashing out of the European Union next March without a withdrawal agreement, Britain’s foreign minister said Tuesday.

Jeremy Hunt said Russian aggression made it crucial to maintain close diplomatic, defense and trade relations between Britain and the EU after the split.

“Frankly, if we end up with no deal, the only person rejoicing will be Vladimir Putin,” he told France Inter radio on a trip to Paris, charging that Russia wants nothing more than to see the West divided.

“We have to recognize that this is a very unstable period in world history and we need to be working together,” Hunt added.

Source: AFP