Russia on Monday said it was blacklisting 39 high profile British citizens, including Labour Party leader Keir Starmer, former prime minister David Cameron and journalist and TV host Piers Morgan.
The UK has been one of Kyiv’s most loyal supporters after Russian president Vladimir Putin sent troops to Ukraine on February 24, and a slew of British commentators have expressed their unfavourable opinion of the Kremlin chief.
Russia’s foreign ministry said the citizens listed, most of whom were politicians, government employees and journalists, ‘contribute to the hostile course of London aimed at the demonisation of our country and its international isolation’.
‘The choice in favour of confrontation is the conscious decision of the British political establishment, which bears all responsibility for the consequences,’ the ministry added.
Moscow has banned several dozen British citizens – mostly politicians and journalists – from entering Russia since the start of its military campaign in Ukraine.