Travel Advise for Britons in Russia: Do Not Talk about Politics. Great Britain warns its subjects who are already in Russia or planning to go there: watch out for anti-British feelings and people who harass you, stay away from demonstrations and do not talk about politics.
London has adjusted the travel advice for Russia today. That follows the decision to expel 23 Russian diplomats after the poisoning of the Russian former double-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.
World Cup football
London thinks that Russia is behind it. Russia has now threatened with countermeasures. It is not known how many Britons there are now in Russia. London expects up to 20,000 English to go to the World Cup in a few months.
One week to leave
Great Britain sends 23 Russian diplomats out of the country because of the poisoning of nerve gas from an ex-spy. The diplomats have one week to leave. It is the largest expulsion of diplomats in 30 years, says British Prime Minister Theresa May. He had demanded from Russia to explain today how the Russian nerve gas could enter England.
Russian state aggression
May calls the poisoning ‘Russian state aggression.’ She called it ‘tragic’ that Russian President Putin ‘has opted for such an action.’ She said she would not tolerate “a threat to British life on British soil” and wants an emergency session of the UN Security Council on the assassination attempt.
May wants to suspend high-level consultations with Russia for the time being but does not break all ties because this is not in the interests of her country. She has postponed an agreement with the Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov.
Royal family not to World Cup
She also announced that no ministers or members of the British royal family would travel to the World Cup in Russia. Then the Russian football federation reacted laconically. “That’s not our problem, that’s their problem,” said Vice-President Nikita Simonjan of the Russian Football Association. “What matters is that the English team is coming and that is certainly happening, because the World Cup is only once every four years,” says Simonjan.
The British Football Association FA already intimated that England would just be present as planned at the World Cup.
Unjustified and short-sighted
On the British decision to expel more than twenty Russian diplomats, something less resigned. According to the Kremlin, this action is a hostile act that is ‘unacceptable, unjustified and short-sighted.’
The leadership in Great Britain, with this action, bears the responsibility for the deterioration of British-Russian relations, reported the Russian embassy in London earlier today.