Russia bars UK PM Boris Johnson, other top officials from entering its territory amid war

In a retaliatory attack, the Kremlin has banned British PM Boris Johnson, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, and a dozen of other Downing Street officials from entering the territory of the Russian Federation. In a statement released on Saturday, the  Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs blamed the ‘unprecedented hostile actions, in particular, the imposition of sanctions on Kremlin officials as the reason behind the ban. Amidst the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war, the ministry warned that the ‘The Stop List’ could be expanded in the coming days. 

Russia bans entry for Boris Johnson

“In essence, the British leadership is deliberately aggravating the situation around Ukraine, pumping the Kyiv regime with lethal weapons and coordinating similar efforts on the part of NATO. The instigation of London is also unacceptable, which is strongly pushing not only its Western allies but also other countries to introduce large-scale anti-Russian sanctions, which, however, are senseless and counterproductive,” the ministry said in a statement.

Earlier this week, UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss announced fresh sanctions against 206 Russian individuals, including the wife of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. The list encompasses 206 individuals, including 178 separatists, six oligarchs, close associates and employees, and an additional 22 individuals. Announcing the ban on Saturday, Moscow asserted that London has launched an “information and political campaign” aimed at isolating Russia internationally, creating conditions for containing the country and strangling the domestic economy.

UK assures unwavering support to Kyiv

This comes after Boris Johnson made an unannounced trip to Kyiv on Saturday, April 9 to discuss the prevailing situation with President Zelenskyy and to carve their future strategies. “We're setting out a new package of financial & military aid which is a testament to our commitment to his country's struggle against Russia’s barbaric campaign,” Johnson said after meeting Zelenskyy.

On many previous occasions, PM Johnson had emphasised that in principle, he was open to sending any form of “defensive weapons” to Ukraine. Notably, the UK leads in providing defence support to Ukrainian troops; the anti-war coalition as well as sanctions against the Russian Federation.