Russia has barred Prime Minister Boris Johnson and other senior ministers from entering the country because of the United Kingdom’s “hostile” stance on the Ukraine conflict.
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, Défense Secretary Ben Wallace, and ten other senior politicians, most of whom are Cabinet members, have also been barred from attending.
Moscow claimed the decision was made in retaliation for the United Kingdom’s sanctions against it following its invasion of Ukraine.
Moscow imposed a similar ban on US Vice President Joe Biden in March.
The complete list is as follows:
- Prime Minister Boris Johnson
- Foreign Secretary Liz Truss
- Defence Secretary Ben Wallace
- Deputy Prime Minister, Lord Chancellor, and Secretary of State for Justice Dominic Raab
- Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps
- Home Secretary Priti Patel
- The Chancellor Rishi Sunak
- Minister of Entrepreneurship, Energy and Industrial Strategy Kwasi Kwarteng
- Minister of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Nadine Dorries
- Minister for the Armed Forces James Heappey
- First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon
- Attorney General for England and Wales and advocate general for Northern Ireland Suella Braverman
- Conservative MP and former British Prime Minister Theresa May
“London’s unbridled information and political campaign aimed at isolating Russia internationally, creating conditions for containing our country and strangling the domestic economy” Russia’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
“In essence, the British leadership is deliberately aggravating the situation around Ukraine, pumping the Kyiv regime with lethal weapons and coordinating similar efforts on the part of NATO.” it continued.
The UK and US governments announced new sanctions against Russia earlier this week.
Financial sanctions were imposed on Russia’s economy, as well as on President Putin, high-ranking officials, and those who benefited from his regime.
NATO members, including the United Kingdom and the United States, are also supplying Ukraine with weapons, ammunition, and other military equipment, though they have ruled out sending in NATO troops or imposing a no-fly zone.
The US announced on Wednesday that Ukraine would receive more advanced offensive weaponry as part of a $800 million (£612 million) package.
In response, Moscow warned the US on Friday that refusing to stop sending weapons to Ukraine would have “unpredictable consequences”