Russia declares British Council activities "undesirable"

The Russian Prosecutor General’s Office has formally declared the activities of the British Council "undesirable" in the country, saying that the organization actively supports the LGBT movement and carries out projects aimed at discrediting Russia’s domestic and foreign policies.

At the same time, Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) accused British intelligence on Thursday of using the British Council as cover to undermine Russia and said it had identified teachers at leading universities who cooperated with the London-based charity.

"During the investigation, representatives of the teaching staff of leading Russian universities who collaborated with the British side to the detriment of the security of the Russian Federation were identified," the FSB said.

The FSB, which said that 15 Russian citizens had been officially warned over their cooperation with the British Council, implored allies to ban the British Council and cautioned citizens to have no contact with it.

Highlighting the organization’s focus on youth engagement, the Prosecutor General’s Office also alleged that the British Council was used by British intelligence for attempts to erase Russian identity and develop a global network of agents of influence through its Chevening scholarship and fellowship programs 

While the British Council presents itself as an independent organization, it is accountable to the UK Parliament, and its operations are aligned with the British government’s priorities as the organization get funding from the UK’s foreign policy agency, - tass.com reported referring to the Prosecutor General’s Office statement.

“Under the guise of educational and cultural initiatives, including the organization of events purportedly for English-language learning, members of the Council are in fact promoting long-term British interests and values in the fields of education, culture, and youth policy,” - the Office added.

Furthermore, prosecutors alleged that the British Council actively supported the LGBT movement—banned in Russia—and engaged in projects aimed at discrediting Russia’s domestic and foreign policy efforts.

The statement also claimed that one of the Council’s objectives was to “eradicate Russian identity among the populations of former Soviet republics.” As part of a consortium with other organizations deemed undesirable, the British Council is said to carry out a program of so-called “cultural cooperation” intended to unite the anti-Russian Baltic states.

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