Former junior Foreign Office minister Tobias Ellwood found himself in an unexpected one-on-one meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin for 15 minutes at a summit of European leaders. Faced with the prospect of a potentially unproductive condemnation of Russia's annexation of Crimea, Ellwood opted for a different approach.
He informed Putin that a friend was scheduled to travel to the International Space Station on a Russian Soyuz rocket and was concerned about the return journey amidst rising East-West tensions. According to Ellwood, Putin appeared puzzled until the identity of the friend was revealed as British astronaut Tim Peake. Upon learning this, Putin reportedly smiled and assured Ellwood, "Mr. Ellwood. Tell Mr. Peake we will not abandon him."
Ellwood recounted this anecdote in his new book, "Ten Steps To Prevent World War Three."