Daily Management Review

Russia-UK Diplomatic Row Worsens Even as Russia Continues Pressure Against Ukraine


08/06/2015




Russia-UK Diplomatic Row Worsens Even as Russia Continues Pressure Against Ukraine
The relations between UK and Russia, already soured by the ongoing crisis in Eastern Ukraine, deteriorated further after Russia’s allegations that UK was responsible for the latest diplomatic debacle between the two countries.
 
On Thursday the British government was accused of forcing out Russian diplomats in violation of international law by the Russian Embassy in London and the Russian ambassador Alexander Yakovenko.
 
This came a few days after Russia declared that it would act tough against Ukraine if Ukraine faltered in repaying the debt.
 
The British authorities had "degraded" the embassy's work by "squeezing out" four Russian diplomats, Russian ambassador to Britain, Yakovenko was reported to have repeatedly said in a number of interviews all this week.
 
Russian embassy sources have also been reported to have said that a section of the British politicians had strategically taken a decision to worsen relations with Moscow through the ‘act’.
 
There were also acquisitions that the Russian nationals visiting the country were subjected to “political or psychological pressure” by the British border officials, said the embassy.
 
"Our senior diplomat had to depart the UK last month because his visa was not extended, another diplomat left without replacement this month, (and) two staff members will have to leave for the same reason," a Russian embassy spokesman said in a statement. 

Britain has however refuted the acquisitions claiming that the visas for diplomats were being issued according to its own procedures in collaboration with the Home Office.
 
"Our approach to extending visas for Russian Embassy staff in London reflects the arrangements for British Embassy staff in Moscow,” a spokesman said.

Both the countries have had tensed relations since the beginning of the crisis in Eastern Ukraine where Russia is the primary target of Ukraine with UK providing tactical support to Ukraine.
 
The latest diplomatic crisis comes days after the Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said that his country would "adopt as tough a position as possible" if Ukraine was unable to repay the $3bn it borrowed in 2013.

This was in reaction to the debt strapped country passing a law that would allow deferring the payments of the debts.

A large portion of the debts that Ukraine owes is to Russian firms.
 
Medvedev said that Russia would collect the debt from Ukraine using "all instruments that exist", including "judicial procedures".
 
On the other hand, the European Union has urged Russia and Ukraine to restart the stalled long-term gas talks after they broke down earlier this week.
 
Gas delivery from Russia was cut off to Ukraine's Naftogaz on 1 July after Kiev's attempts to receive a larger gas discount from Moscow which Russia denied altogether.
 
The Russian state gas giant Gazprom refused to provide Ukraine the same discount to as was in place for the second quarter of 2015 and cut off the gas supply as Ukraine had not paid in advance for July's gas supplies.
 
While the Russian authorities had offered a gas price of $247 per thousand cubic meters of gas with a $40 discount from the maximum price under the terms of a prior agreement, Ukraine has been demanding a 30% discount on the gas.
 
(Source: www.digitallook.com)