Russia has announced a new round of sanctions against 54 UK citizens, including ministers, journalists, lawyers and media executives, in response to London’s “hostile anti-Russian policy”. The the move was a “tit-for-tat measure” and warned that any further attempts by the UK to escalate the “anti-Russian sanctions flywheel” would be met with a firm response.
The list of banned individuals includes Lucy Frazer, the UK secretary of state for digital, culture, media and sport, who has been advocating for Russia’s exclusion from international sports events, such as the Olympics in Paris next year. Ms Frazer was due to attend the Women’s World Cup final in Sydney on Sunday, where England will face Spain. Another minister on the list is Baroness Goldie, the defence minister, who is accused of being responsible for supplying weapons to Ukraine, including depleted uranium shells.
The UK has been one of the strongest allies of Ukraine, providing more than £4.6 billion in military assistance since Russia invaded its eastern regions in February 2022. The UK has also imposed several rounds of sanctions on Russian individuals and entities involved in the conflict, human rights violations and cyberattacks.