Russia: Bans entry to 39 British politicians, businessmen, journalists

Russia today announced sanctions against 39 British politicians, officials, business executives and journalists, banning them from entering Russia for advocating the “demonisation” of Russia.

The list includes opposition Labor leader Keir Starmer, former prime minister David Cameron and well-known TV journalists Piers Morgan, Robert Peston and Hugh Edwards, among others.

Their names join those of more than 200 other Britons whose entry Russia has already banned, including Britain’s most senior politicians.

The travel bans — similar to those Russia has imposed on other Western countries that have hit it with sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine — are largely symbolic given that relations are already at a nadir and almost none of those targeted it is possible that he intended to visit the country.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said, however, that it would continue to add names to the list.

“Given London’s disastrous move to spin the sanctions flywheel under far-fetched and absurd pretexts, work to expand the Russian no-entry list will continue,” it said in a statement.

In a separate development, Russia’s attorney general’s office said the Calvert 22 Foundation, a non-profit organization based in London, is considered an “undesirable organization”.

“Its activity has proven to be a threat to the foundations of the constitutional order and security of the Russian Federation,” it said in a statement.

There was no immediate comment from the organization, which was founded in 2009 by Russian-born economist Nona Materkova and focuses its activities on arts and culture in Russia and eastern Europe.

SOURCE: APE-ME