UK PM Boris Johnson, other top officials banned from entering Russia

In reaction to sanctions, Russia has barred UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, his predecessor Theresa May, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, Defense Secretary Ben Wallace, and other British cabinet members from entering the country.

On Saturday, Russia’s Foreign Ministry ascribed its decision to the “unprecedented hostile actions of the British government, expressed, in particular, in the imposition of sanctions against the top officials of the Russian Federation.”

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“London’s unbridled information and political campaign aimed at the international isolation of Russia, creating conditions for containing our country and strangling the Russian economy,” the government indicated in a statement that they were responsible for the decision.

“In essence, the British leadership are deliberately aggravating the situation around Ukraine, pumping the Kyiv regime with lethal weapons and coordinating similar efforts on the part of NATO,” the ministry added.

“The instigation by London is also unacceptable, that is strongly pushing not only its Western allies, but also other countries to introduce large-scale anti-Russian sanctions, which, however, are senseless and counterproductive,” the ministry said.

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In the aftermath of President Vladimir Putin‘s invasion of Ukraine, the United Kingdom has joined other Western countries in placing stringent sanctions on Russian persons and organisations.

In March, UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak proposed a prohibition on the export of luxury items to Russia as well as duties on Russian goods valued at more than $1 billion.

Sunak went on to say that the UK will also refuse Russia and Belarus access to its most favoured nation trading tariff for hundreds of their goods, effectively depriving both countries of significant World Trade Organization benefits.

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Imports of Russian commodities will face an additional 35 percent duty, including vodka, steel, works of art, and fur.

The UK cancelled the broadcasting licence of the Kremlin-backed propaganda network RT a few days later, according to a regulators’ statement.

According to an Ofcom statement, its inquiry into RT discovered that its licensee, ANO TV Novosti, was not fit and competent to retain a UK broadcast license.

Earlier this month, the United Kingdom sanctioned two “key Russian oligarchs” related to Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, blocking up to $13 billion in assets associated with Eugene Tenenbaum and David Davidovich.

According to the Foreign Office, the censure was “the largest asset freeze action in UK history.”

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The British government also stated that the measures were coordinated with Jersey officials, who earlier this week froze more than $7 billion in assets “suspected to be connected” to Abramovich, according to CNN.

In the announcement, British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss was quoted as saying, “We are tightening the ratchet on Putin’s war machine and targeting the circle of people closest to the Kremlin. We will keep going with sanctions until Putin fails in Ukraine. Nothing and no one is off the table.” 

Since February, Britain has sanctioned 106 Russian oligarchs, family members, and allies, according to the statement.