Russia Designates British Council as Undesirable Amid Escalating Tensions with the UK

On Thursday, Russia labeled the British Council as an «undesirable organization,» accusing the UK of orchestrating global crises and instigating conflicts.

The relationship between the U.K. and Russia had already deteriorated significantly prior to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, marred by numerous espionage incidents and scandals, including the 2018 poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal on British soil.

Officials in Russia’s Prosecutor General’s Office claimed that the British Council was attempting to advance British interests «under the pretense of teaching English» while also allegedly supporting the «LGBT movement,» which Russia has deemed «extremist» and illegal.

The statement further claimed, «Various initiatives are underway to systematically undermine the domestic and foreign policies of the Russian Federation.»

Russia has classified numerous Western-funded organizations as «undesirable,» a designation that prohibits their operations within the country and exposes anyone who collaborates with them to potential long prison sentences.

State media reported that the Federal Security Service (FSB), which claimed to have substantiated the decision, characterized Britain as «the primary source of global crises, a provocateur and instigator of wars.»

According to a statement from the FSB cited by Russia’s state-run RIA Novosti, «London orchestrates coups, undermines not just its geopolitical rivals but also its closest allies, incites conflicts between nations, and obstructs the resolution of bloody disputes it has initiated.»

The U.K. has been among Ukraine’s staunchest supporters since the onset of Russia’s invasion.

Under President Vladimir Putin, Russia has persistently clamped down on independent civil society, banning organizations and prosecuting dissenters in a campaign that has intensified amid the war in Ukraine, drawing widespread condemnation from human rights organizations and the West.