Boris Johnson has said Russia is "up to no good" but pledged to work with the country, saying it would be "folly" to demonise them.
The Foreign Secretary said Vladimir Putin's Kremlin "is up to all sorts of very dirty tricks" such as cyber warfare, adding it was "pretty clear" that Russians had hacked into the emails of the Democratic party in the US.
Mr Johnson called for "a twin-track strategy of engagement and vigilance" towards Russia, telling MPs there were areas the two countries could work together.
Speaking at Foreign Office questions in the Commons, Mr Johnson said: "I do think it is important to understand that although Russia is doing many bad things, and if you look at what they've done on cyber warfare, if you look at what they're doing in the western Balkans, there is no doubt that they are up to no good.
"But it is also important for us to recognise that there may be areas where we can work together, and that is what we should do."
Later on in the debate he added: "I make no comment on the electoral efficacy of the hacking of the DNC (Democratic National Committee) emails, except to say that it is pretty clear that it did come from the Russians.
"The point that we have made to the incoming administration, and indeed on Capitol Hill, is just this, as I said earlier, we do think that the Russian state - the Putin Kremlin - is up to all sorts of very dirty tricks, such as cyber warfare, but it would be folly for us further to demonise Russia or to push Russia into a corner, so a twin-track strategy of engagement and vigilance is what is required."
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