Russia-UK Relations

Relations between Russia and the UK have always been strained over the past two decades. Issues such as the expulsion of diplomats and spy controversies, and the poisoning of former Russian military intelligence officer, Sergey Skripal who had taken refuge in England, have overshadowed bilateral relations.

The new wave of tensions between Russia and the West in the Ukraine crisis has also led to the worsening of Moscow-London relations.

History of Russia-UK Relations

Diplomatic relations between Russia and Britain were established in 1553 and the two countries have had deep, and at times stressed, relations over the centuries.

The two countries were united against Napoleon Bonaparte, but fought over the Crimean Peninsula in 1853. In the 19th century, they were competing for the control of Central Asia.

They united again in the two first and second World Wars. Nevertheless, relations between London and Moscow came under strain again in 1917, during the Russian Revolution.

In the Cold War era, Russian business tycoons developed strong ties with financial institutions in the London of the 1990s, following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991.

Russia-UK Relations in the Last Two Decades

Relations between Russia and Britain have always been strained over the past two decades. Issues such as the expulsion of diplomats, spy controversies, and the poisoning of former Russian military intelligence officer, Sergey Scripule who had taken refuge in England, have overshadowed bilateral relations.

On 14 March 2018, former British Prime Minister Theresa May announced that her country will expel 23 Russian diplomats, the biggest such expulsion since the Cold War, when Russia refused to explain the use of a deadly Soviet-era nerve agent to poison former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia.

Tensions Between Russia and the UK over the Ukraine Crisis

The new wave of tensions between Russia and the West in the Ukraine crisis has also led to more strains between Moscow and London. Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, European countries including Britain have imposed sanctions on Moscow. Some of the sanctions are:

  • Restrictions on the Russian Government and Companies to conduct transactions in dollars and pounds
  • Limited access to military and advanced technologies
  • Asset freezes on major banks and individuals

Imposing these sanctions due to the Ukraine crisis has further darkened relations between the two countries. Although previous issues, such as the expulsion of diplomats or poisoning of the former Russian officer in the UK, had deteriorated relations between Russia and the UK, the recent invasion of Ukraine by Russia and the imposition of Western sanctions on the latter have further reduced ties between Russia and the UK.

Conclusion

Based on the above-mentioned issues and the unpredictability of the situation, it is possible that diplomatic relations between the two countries may be reduced or even interrupted for a period of time.

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