Yahoo News England football fans will be safe at World Cup in Russia, claims Moscow ambassador amid growing tension with the UK
A Russian ambassador has insisted that England football fans will be safe during the World Cup in Russia – despite growing tension between the UK and Moscow.
Alexander Yakovenko, Moscow’s ambassador to London, says England football fans heading to Russia for the event will be safe and able to enjoy visa-free travel as guests of the country.
He said Russia expects between 20,000 and 30,000 people from the UK to travel there for the World Cup this summer.
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has expressed concerns about the treatment travelling England fans may receive amid worsening relations between the UK and Russia as the Salisbury spy poisoning probe continues.
But Mr Yakovenko gave reassurances about fan safety during a press conference in the capital on Thursday.
He said: ‘I will be happy to invite all the fans. They will be safe in Russia.
‘All the necessary measures are being taken and the British special authorities are in contact with Russia’s special authorities to provide the security.’
Mr Yakovenko added that there would be a ‘visa-free regime for those who are going to come to Moscow’ and said those with tickets will be ‘guests of Russia’.
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Fans will be treated to ‘new facilities’ and ‘fascinating hotels’ during their stay, he said, adding that the event will advertise the ‘Russian standards of living’ in what he described as a fast-growing country.
On whether Russia deserves to host the World Cup, Mr Yakovenko said it had been the decision of the ‘world community’ to award it to his country.
He added: ‘So this is the way the world community thinks about Russia, not just Britain but the world community, which is much bigger than one country.’
In a lengthy press conference, Mr Yakovenko slammed Boris Johnson’s comments and laid into the UK for pointing the finger of blame for the poisoning of ex-spy Sergei Skripal at the Kremlin.
‘History shows that British statements must be verified. We demand full transparency of the investigation and full cooperation with Russia,’ he said.
Adding: ‘How that was possible that the British authorities managed to designate the nerve agent used as so-called ‘Novichok’ and its origin so quickly,’ he said.
‘Could it mean that it is highly likely that the British authorities already had this nerve agent in their chemical laboratory in Porton Down?’
Skripal, 66, was poisoned with a nerve agent in Salisbury earlier this month, and remains in hospital in a severe condition, along with his daughter Yulia.
The latest denial comes after the Court of Protection gave doctors the go-ahead to take blood samples from the Skripals for testing by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
