UK government falls short of demanding businesses exit Russia
UK foreign affairs minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan said the government remains ‘committed to increasing pressure on Russia and Belarus,’ but pulled back from calling on all British businesses to immediately exit Russia.
Trevelyan was replying to questions by Labour former minister Sir Chris Bryant, who told Parliament that a law published by the Kremlin last year required all local and foreign businesses operating in Russia to ‘assist in the war in Ukraine.’
‘That means that any British businesses that are still doing business in Russia are complicit in the war crimes that Russia is perpetrating against the Ukrainian people,’ he said. ‘Will the Minister make it absolutely clear that all British businesses should completely and utterly desist from business in Russia immediately?’
Trevelyan said, ‘We will continue enforcement using the tools that we have. We work closely with our business sector, as does the Department for Business and Trade on trading questions, to ensure that that is understood. However, I have always found British businesses to be incredibly positive in stepping beyond what is asked of them in support of Ukraine.’
