Boris Johnson banned from entering Russia

Moscow, Apr 16 (EFE).- British prime minister Boris Johnson has been barred from entering Russia over “hostile action” against the Kremlin, the foreign ministry said Saturday.

Russia’s foreign minister said Johnson and another 12 ministers would be barred from entering the country “in view of the unprecedented hostile action by the British government, in particular the imposition of sanctions against senior Russian officials.”

Among the politicians barred from entering Russia are deputy prime minister Dominic Raab, foreign secretary Liz Truss, former prime minister Theresa May and first minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon.

“This list will be expanded shortly by including more of British politicians and members of the Parliament in it, who keep inflaming the anti-Russian hysteria, push the collective West towards the use of the language of threats with Moscow and are engaged in a dishonest encouragement of the Kiev’s Neo-Nazist regime,” the ministry added in a statement.

The move came after Russia on Friday expelled 18 EU diplomats from Russia in response to Brussels’ declaration of 19 Russian diplomats as personae non gratae earlier this month.

“The Russian side declared that the EU is responsible for the consistent destruction of the architecture of bilateral dialogue and cooperation that had taken decades to form,” the Russian foreign minister said, adding the diplomats were to leave the country as soon as possible. EFE

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