Russia–United Kingdom relations

Anglo-Russian relations covers the relationship between the countries of Russia and the United Kingdom and their predecessor states. Spanning nearly five centuries, it has often switched from a state of alliance to rivalry. Presently there is a diplomatic row going on over extraditions.

Kingdom of England - Tsardom of Russia relations

The Kingdom of England and Tsardom of Russia established relations in 1553, when English navigator Richard Chancellor arrived in Arkhangelsk. He returned to England and was sent back to Russia in 1555, the same year the Muscovy Company was established. The Muscovy Company held a monopoly over trade between England and Russia until 1698.

During the Grand Embassy of Peter I in 1697-1698, Czar Peter I of Russia visited Britain for three months.

United Kingdom - Russian Empire relations

The Kingdom of Great Britain (1707-1800) and later the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1801-1922) had increasingly important ties with the Russian Empire (1721-1917), after Czar Peter I brought Russia into European affairs and declared himself an emperor. During the series of general European wars of the eighteenth century, the two empires found themselves as sometime allies and sometime enemies. The two states fought on the same side during War of the Austrian Succession (1740–1748), but on opposite sides during Seven Years' War (1756–1763).

The outbreak of the French Revolution and its attendant wars temporarily united constitutionalist Britain and autocratic Russia in an ideological alliance against French republicanism. Britain and Russian attempted to halt the French but the failure of their joint invasion of the Netherlands in 1799 precipitated a change in attitudes.

Britain occupied Malta, while the Emperor Paul I of Russia was Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller. That led to the never-executed Indian March of Paul, which was a secret project of a planned allied Russo-French expedition against the British dominions in India.

The two countries fought each other during the Anglo-Russian War (1807-1812), after which Britain and Russia became allies against Napoleon in the Napoleonic Wars.

The Eastern Question and the fate of the Ottoman Empire became of interest to both countries, and they both intervened in the Greek War of Independence (1821 – 1829), eventually forcing the London peace treaty on the belligerents.

The issues surrounding the Ottomans were not resolved, however, and lead to the Crimean War (1853-1856) fought by Britain, France, and the Ottomans against Russia.

Rivalry between Britain and Russia developed over Central Asia in the Great Game of the late nineteenth century, as Russia desired warm-water ports on the Indian Ocean while Britain wanted to prevent Russian troops from gaining a potential invasion route to India. There was cooperation in Asia, however, as the two countries intervened in China during the Boxer Rebellion (1899-1901).

Anglo-Russian Entente and the Anglo-Russian Convention of 1907 made both countries part of the Triple Entente. Both countries were then part of the subsequent alliance against the Central Powers in the First World War.

United Kingdom - Soviet Union relations

After the Russian Revolution, Britain sent troops to Russia in the failed Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War.

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (1922-) recognised the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR or Soviet Union, 1917-1991) on February 1, 1924. Relations between then and the Second World War were tense, typified by the Zinoviev letter incident.

In 1938 a few Western countries, including Britain, signed the Munich Agreement with Nazi Germany. The USSR opposed to the pact and refused to recognize Germany's annexation of part of Czechoslovakia. [ [http://hronos.km.ru/dokum/myunh1938.html Соглашение Между Германией, Великобританией, Францией И Италией ] ]

The Soviet felt excluded from Western consideration and vulnerable to possible hostilities by the West or Germany, and in response the USSR signed the Nazi-Soviet pact. This complicated relations with Britain as the British leadership was sympathetic to Finland in her war against the USSR (the Winter War), yet could not afford to alienate the Soviets while war with Germany loomed.

In 1941, Germany launched Operation Barbarossa, attacking the USSR. The USSR thereafter became one of the Allies of World War II along with Britain, fighting against the Axis Powers. The Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran secured the oil fields in Iran from falling into Axis hands. The Arctic convoys transported supplies between Britain and the USSR during the war.

Following the end of the Second World War, relations between the Soviet and the Western bloc deteriorated quickly. British prime minister Churchill said that the Soviet occupation of Eastern Europe was like 'an iron curtain'. Relations were generally tense during the ensuing Cold War, typified by spying and other covert activities. The British and American Venona project was established in 1942 for cryptanalysis of messages sent by Soviet intelligence. Soviet spies were later discovered in Britain, such as Kim Philby and the Cambridge Five spy ring, which was operating in England in until 1963.

The Soviet spy agency, the KGB, was suspected of the murder of Georgi Markov in London in 1978. A High ranking KGB official, Oleg Gordievsky, defected to London in 1985.

British prime minister Margaret Thatcher pursued a strong anti-communist policy in concert with Ronald Reagan during the 1980s, in contrast with the détente policy of the 1970s, although relations became warmer after Mikhail Gorbachev came to power in 1985.

United Kingdom - Russian Federation relations

After the collapse of the USSR, relations between Britain and the new Russian Federation were initially warm. In the 21st century, however, while trade and human ties have proliferated, diplomatic ties have suffered due to allegations of spying, and extradition disputes.

In 2003, Russia requested the extradition of "tycoon" Boris Berezovsky and Chechen separatist Akhmed Zakayev, but Britain refused, having giving them both political asylum. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7188285.stm BBC NEWS | World | Europe | Mood for a fight in UK-Russia row ] ]

In early 2006, Russia accused UK diplomats of espionage. Along with accusing British diplomats of spying in Moscow with the help of hi-tech electronic rock, Russia alleged that British secret service agents had been funding Russian non-governmental organisations (NGOs) - everything from human rights organisations, to political foundations, or civil liberty groups. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4638136.stm BBC NEWS | World | Europe | UK diplomats in Moscow spying row ] ]

In late 2006, former KGB officer Alexander Litvinenko was poisoned in London by radioactive metalloid, Polonium 210 and died 3 weeks later. Britain requested the extradition of Andrei Lugovoi from Russia to face charges over Litvinenko's death, Russia refused, stating their constitution does not allow extradition of their citizens to foreign countries. Britain then expelled four Russian diplomats, shortly followed by Russia expelling four British diplomats, [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6906481.stm BBC NEWS | Politics | Russia expels four embassy staff ] ] the dispute then continue to escalate over the following months. As of 19 May 2008 the head of Counter-Terrorism at the British Crown Prosecution Service, Sue Hemming, said: "The extradition request is still current. [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7409160.stm|title=BBC NEWS | UK | Will Lugovoi still stand trial?|publisher=news.bbc.co.uk|accessdate=2008-06-21]

In July 2007, The Crown Prosecution Service announced that Boris Berezovsky would not face charges in the UK for talking to The Guardian about plotting a "revolution" in his homeland. Kremlin officials called it a "disturbing moment" in Anglo-Russian relations. Berezovsky is still a wanted man in Russia, accused of embezzlement and money laundering. [Anglo-Russian relations [http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2007/jul/19/russia.world] April 7, 2008 ]

In a reminder of the Cold War, Russia recommenced its long range air patrols of the Tupolev Tu-95 bomber aircraft in August 2007. These patrols have neared British airspace, requiring RAF fighter jets to "scramble" and intercept them. [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/check/player/nol/newsid_6950000/newsid_6957800?redirect=6957863.stm&news=1&nbram=1&nbwm=1&bbwm=1&bbram=1&asb=1 BBC Media Player ] ] [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6984320.stm BBC NEWS | World | Europe | Russia's Bear bomber returns ] ]

In November 2007, a report by the head of security service MI5 Jonathan Evans, it was stated that "since the end of the Cold War we have seen no decrease in the numbers of undeclared Russian intelligence officers in the UK - at the Russian Embassy and associated organisations - conducting covert activity in this country." [http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,91211-1291544,00.html Sky News report with Quote]

In late 2007, Russia feared that some of its artwork, due to be shown at an exhibition in London, could be seized because of disputes about their ownership. It refused to send the art to the UK until a law was passed by the British government to protect it, initiating fears that the art would not be shown at the exhibition at all. A law was eventually passed and the art was shown. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7165155.stm BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Russian art show gets green light ] ]

In January 2008, Russia ordered two offices of the British Council situated in Russia to shut down, accusing them of tax violations. Britain has refuted this claim and the council initially tried to keep their offices open. However work has been suspended at the offices, the council citing "intimidation" by the Russian authorities as the reason. The "Chief Executive" of the council said 20 of their Russian staff had been interview by the Russian security service (FSB) and a further 10 were visited at their homes by tax police in the night of January 15. On the same night, the son of former British Labour Party leader Neil Kinnock, who holds the post of "office director" at the Saint Petersburg branch, was detained for an hour by Russian authorities, allegedly for driving the wrong way up a one-way street and smelling of alcohol. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7139959.stm BBC NEWS | World | Europe | Russia to limit British Council ] ] [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7193186.stm BBC NEWS | Politics | Russia actions 'stain reputation' ] ]

During the 2008 South Ossetia war between Russia and Georgia, the British Foreign Secretary, David Miliband, visited the Georgian capital city of Tbilisi to meet with the president and said the UK's government and people "stood in solidarity" with the Georgian people. [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7571395.stm|title=BBC NEWS | UK | Miliband in Georgia support vow|publisher=news.bbc.co.uk|accessdate=2008-08-24]

References

External links

* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/bbc_parliament/6904938.stm BBC news, timeline of recent Anglo-Russian relations]
* [http://www.economist.com/world/britain/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9526968 The Economist, Anglo-Russian relations, The big freeze]