MOSCOW — Russia’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday issued a sharp rebuke of the United Kingdom’s foreign policy, announcing it has banned 21 British lawmakers from entering the country in retaliation for what Moscow described as London’s “open confrontation” and ongoing military and political support for Ukraine.
In a strongly worded statement, the Russian ministry accused the U.K. of deliberately “demonizing” Russia in the global arena, asserting that British officials are working to diminish Moscow’s international standing and undermine its sovereignty.
“London does not intend to abandon its open confrontation with Russia,” the ministry declared. It further accused the British government of fueling hostilities by supplying arms to what it labeled the “neo-Nazi regime in Kyiv” and seeking to “destroy Russian statehood” through a campaign of Russophobia.
The ministry also cited public statements by British lawmakers calling for the seizure of frozen Russian state assets as justification for the travel ban.
Among the 21 lawmakers now barred from entering Russia is Lord David Alton, a longtime advocate for global human rights and a key voice behind sanctions tied to the Magnitsky Act, named after Russian whistleblower Sergei Magnitsky. Alton has previously pushed for expanding sanctions against individuals involved in corruption and human rights abuses.
Russia did not release a full list of the banned officials, but said the targeted lawmakers had played active roles in shaping what it views as London’s hostile approach toward the Kremlin.
The entry ban was announced the same day that British officials hosted high-level talks in London aimed at negotiating a potential ceasefire in the war in Ukraine. The summit was attended by senior representatives from the United States and European Union, alongside a Ukrainian delegation led by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak, Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.
Russia did not participate in the talks and has shown little indication of accepting any ceasefire proposals presented by Western powers in recent months.
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the United Kingdom has imposed sweeping sanctions and asset freezes on Russian officials, oligarchs and entities. According to the U.K. Treasury, over £25 billion (approximately $32 billion) in Russian-owned assets have been frozen, and more than 2,000 individuals and companies linked to Moscow have been sanctioned.
Globally, nearly $300 billion in Russian Central Bank reserves remain frozen across the Group of Seven (G7) nations and the European Union. While discussions continue about the possibility of confiscating these assets to finance Ukraine’s defense and reconstruction, no consensus has yet been reached on outright seizure.
However, Western governments have found ways to leverage the frozen funds. Just last week, the U.K. committed an additional £752 million ($990 million) to help Ukraine purchase air defense systems and artillery, part of a broader G7 effort to provide $50 billion in loans backed by interest earned on the immobilized Russian reserves.
On the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February, Britain introduced more than 100 new sanctions aimed at individuals and entities accused of directly aiding President Vladimir Putin’s war effort. These measures targeted companies supplying military equipment, technology firms, and financiers allegedly involved in circumventing earlier sanctions.
The Kremlin’s decision to block access to British lawmakers underscores the worsening tensions between London and Moscow as diplomatic and military standoffs continue over the future of Ukraine and the vast trove of frozen Russian assets in Western hands.
