MOSCOW, December 30. /TASS/. Russia is expanding the blacklist of British nationals, who are banned from entering the country, as a tit-for-tat measure, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.
Earlier in the day, British Ambassador to Moscow Deborah Bronnert was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry.
"She was notified that in response to unconstructive and unfriendly steps by the British authorities, linked to imposing unacceptable and unfounded restrictions against Russian citizens under the pretext of their alleged connection to the incident with [blogger] Alexey Navalny, Russia, based on the reciprocity principle, made a decision on expanding the list of British nationals, who are banned from entering the country’s territory," the ministry stated.
The blacklist includes those behind "whipping up anti-Russian sanctions activity."
On October 15, the European Union imposed sanctions against Russians in connection with the incident with Navalny, who, as the West alleges, had been affected by a toxic agent belonging to the Novichok family.