By Ben Kerrigan-
Russia has been banned from using British management consulting, accounting and PR services in new sanctions announced by the UK.
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss who has been very vocal about the war , said the ban will cut off service exports “critical to the Russian economy”.
Ms Truss said the ban will “help ensure Putin fails in Ukraine”.
Liz Truss announced that Russia was barred from having access to U.K. accountants, management consultants and public relations firms, as she also announced another tranche of sanctions in an effort to increase international pressure on Vladimir Putin.
According to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Russia’s business will no longer be able to benefit from British firms’ expertise, which currently accounts for about 10% of Russian imports into these sectors.
Truss stated that doing business with Putin’s government is morally corrupt and helps to fund a war machine that causes untold suffering in Ukraine. “Cutting Russia’s access British services will increase pressure on the Kremlin, and ultimately ensure that Putin fails in Ukraine.”
Truss words could not be put much better, although she has faced criticism for the occasional indiscretion in relation to the war. In February, she said that she would support individual brits Brits who wanted to go to Russia to fight, to do so that people were able to make their own decisions’
President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen , stated on Wednesday that the bloc will ban Russian crude oil within the next six-months. Britain already stated that it will phase out Russian oil imports by the end of the year.
According to the statement, the U.K. announced new sanctions against 63 people and organizations. Many of these sanctions target Russian news organizations.
These sanctions apply to websites, social media accounts, and apps of RT and Channel One, as well as RT’s channels on Channel One and Sputnik. The U.K. has already banned RT’s broadcasting of its television channel in the U.K. Russian war correspondents from All-Russia State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company and Komsomolskaya Pravda were also prohibited. They are accused by the U.K. of spreading disinformation and propagandism.
The government said UK accountancy, management consultancy and PR services account for 10% of Russian imports in these sectors.
“Doing business with Putin’s regime is morally bankrupt and helps fund a war machine that is causing untold suffering across Ukraine,” said Ms Truss.
“Cutting Russia’s access to British services will put more pressure on the Kremlin and ultimately help ensure Putin fails in Ukraine.”
Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng added: “Our professional services exports are extraordinarily valuable to many countries, which is exactly why we’re locking Russia out.
“By restricting Russia’s access to our world-class management consultants, accountants and PR firms, we’re ratcheting up economic pressure on the Kremlin to change course.”
Legislation is now in force requiring social media and internet services to block content from Russian state-controlled media RT and Sputnik.
Tech and Digital Economy Minister Chris Philp said: “For too long RT and Sputnik have churned out dangerous nonsense dressed up as serious news to justify Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
“These outlets have already been booted off the airwaves in Britain and we’ve barred anyone from doing business with them.
“Now we’ve moved to pull the plug on their websites, social media accounts and apps to further stop the spread of their lies.”
In March RT was aborted from all broadcast platforms in the UK after UK access to the TV network was affected by a ban imposed by the European Union.
Media companies sanctioned include news agency InfoRos, disinformation website SouthFront and the online journal Strategic Culture Foundation. In March RT disappeared from all broadcast platforms in the UK after UK access to the TV network was affected by a ban imposed by the European Union.
War correspondents, including those embedded with Russian forces in Ukraine, are also on Wednesday’s list.
They include Evgeny Poddubny, a war correspondent for the All-Russia State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company; Alexander Kots, a war correspondent for Russian newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda; and Dmitry Steshin, a Russian journalist and special correspondent for Komsomolskaya Pravda.
Others sanctioned include those working for Channel One a major state-owned outlet in Russia, which described the invasion of Ukraine as a “special military operation”.
The UK has now sanctioned over 1,600 individuals and entities since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.