Russia Bans British Council, Accuses UK of Global Destabilization

The decision, announced on Thursday (June 5), reflects the ongoing deterioration in UK-Russia relations, which have remained strained for years. Tensions escalated sharply after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, though diplomatic ties had already been fraying due to a series of espionage scandals. One of the most notable incidents was the 2018 poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal on British soil.

In a statement, Russia’s Prosecutor General alleged that the British Council was engaged in activities beyond its educational mission, accusing the organization of promoting British political interests under the guise of teaching English. It also cited the Council’s alleged support for the LGBT movement—activities that are restricted or banned under Russian law.

Authorities claimed the British Council was involved in projects aimed at “systematically discrediting” Russia’s domestic and foreign policies.

This move is part of a broader crackdown by Moscow, which has designated dozens of Western-affiliated NGOs and institutions as “undesirable.” Under Russian law, such a designation renders their operations illegal and exposes those affiliated with them to potential criminal penalties, including imprisonment.

Russia’s state security service, the FSB, was quoted by state news agency RIA Novosti as saying that the UK “organizes coups, undermines both its geopolitical adversaries and close allies, pits nations against one another, and obstructs the resolution of violent conflicts it helps incite.”

The Kremlin’s latest actions underscore the deepening divide between Russia and the West, with cultural and educational institutions increasingly caught in the geopolitical crossfire.