Moscow today took action against the British Council , designating it as “undesirable” in the Russian Federation. The BC states that it is a U.K. charity governed by Royal Charter that works with governments and other partners in education to teach the English language and share English culture. It also receives grant-in-aid funding from the U.K. government.
The Russian Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) stated: “Under the guise of educational and cultural activities and work to organize 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.” In TASS’s words, the PGO “has made a decision to designate the activities of the British Council international organization as undesirable in the Russian Federation.” They explain that, while the BC “claims to be an independent organization, it has based its work around the British government’s priorities, is accountable to parliament and is funded by the U.K.’s foreign policy agency.”
