Russia has levied sanctions against 18 British nationals, a group that encompasses prominent academics and experts on Russia, citing their alleged involvement in vilifying Russia and exacerbating the conflict in Ukraine.
The Russian Foreign Ministry asserted, “We are forced to state that Russophobically charged British representatives do not shy away trying to discredit the constitutional system and socio-political processes in our country.”
Accusing British and Western educational institutions of harbouring what they term “brain trusts,” Moscow contends that these entities play a pivotal role in London’s purported subversive activities directed at Russia.
Among the individuals subjected to personal sanctions are James Cartlidge, the British Deputy Defence Minister; Sarah MacIntosh, Deputy National Security Adviser; and Simon Asquith, Director of Submarines.
Additionally, the sanctions target Stuart Peach, the British Prime Minister’s special envoy to the Western Balkans, alongside Lords Dan Hannan and Michael Ashcroft.
Notably, the list encompasses several distinguished academics, including historians Orlando Figes, Norman Davies, Timothy Garton Ash, Rob Johnson, and David Abulafia. Furthermore, experts such as Roy Allison of Oxford, Graeme Robertson of the University of North Carolina, Calder Walton of Harvard, and James Sherr of the International Centre for Defence and Security in Tallinn have also been sanctioned.