Russia labels British Council an undesirable organisation, calls it a tool of UK government

United News of India

a day ago

Moscow, June 5 (UNI) Russia has called the activities of the British Council as undesirable in the country, claiming that the so-called-independent body is a tool of the British government to advance London's interests. Moscow has also termed UK as the "main source of global crises, a provocateur and instigator of wars".
"The Prosecutor General's Office of Russia has decided to recognise the activities of the British Council international organisation as undesirable in Russia. Positioning itself as an independent structure, the council builds all its work in accordance with the priorities of the UK government, it is accountable to the parliament and is financed by the foreign ministry of this country," the office said in a statement, reports Sputnik.
Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Thursday that it has advised all friendly states to likewise put a stop to the work of British Council in their countries.
"Security agencies recommend that partners from friendly countries follow Moscow's example and curtail the council's work on the territory of their states," the FSB said in a statement.
The agency alleged that the UK organisation was working to obtain information about the development of the domestic political and socio-economic situation in Russia amid its war with Ukraine through the established network of contacts, the statement read.
"At the same time, the intelligence and subversive work of UK foundation Oxford Russia Fund, whose activities had previously been recognised as undesirable on the territory of the Russian Federation, was exposed," the FSB said.
According to the FSB, "Under the guise of educational and cultural activities and work to organise educational events under the pretext of English-language programs, members of the Council actually promote long-term British interests and values in education, culture and youth policy," reported Russian state-media TASS.
The British Council is also an active proponent of the LGBTQ+ movement, which is outlawed in Russia, and through its programmes is working to implement projects to steadily discredit Russia's domestic and foreign policies, prosecutors in Moscow said.
They added that the group's aim is to essentially "eradicate Russian identity among the populations of former Soviet republics." As part of a consortium with other undesirable organisations, the British Council implements a programme of so-called "cultural cooperation" designed to unite the anti-Russian Baltic states.
As the British Council actively prioritises its work with the younger generation, Russian authorities alleged that the organisation involves members of its Chevening scholarship and fellowship programme in a mission to build "a global network of agents of British influence", the Russian Prosecutor General's Office stated.
The FSB also claimed that the British Council is a direct party to the UK government's confidential projects, and collaborates with its intelligence services to undermine the sovereignty of independent states, becoming London's main instrument of influence.
"It is no longer a secret that the UK is the main source of global crises, a provocateur and instigator of wars. London organises coups d'état, weakens not only its geopolitical opponents but also its closest allies, sets nations against each other and does not allow the bloody conflicts it has unleashed to be resolved," a FSB representative said in a video address.
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