British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond told BBC on Sunday he saw no change in Russian President Vladimir Putin's strategic intentions towards Ukraine.
However, Hammond noted a "big reduction" in violence in eastern Ukraine since the truce was agreed in Minsk in February.
"There has been a reduction in violence since the new agreement was signed but I don't detect that Mr Putin's strategic intentions have changed. This is just a question now about what tools he uses to achieve those objectives," he said in an interview on BBC television.
According to Hammond, Britain and Russia will continue to have a "prickly relationship" if Putin doesn't change his position on Ukraine.
Hammond says he believes that Moscow has chosen to enter a "strategic competition" with the West rather than being an ally. Russia ''doesn't any longer see us as partners, it sees us as competitors or even adversaries," he said.
He did not rule out further sanctions against Russia in case of the worsening of the situation in Ukraine.
