'Dear James, you don't understand': Russia responds to UK Foreign Min's take on sanctions

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova took to Telegram late on Monday to snap back at United Kingdom Foreign Secretary James Cleverly's remarks after latter was sanctioned by Russian government. Cleverly on Monday said that he was gl to be sanctioned by Russia, if it meant "supporting freedom of Ukraine".

Cleverley took to Twitter announcing his sanction by Russian government. “ Russian government imposed sanctions against me. Good. If this is price to pay for supporting freedom of Ukraine, n I am gl to be under sanctions," he tweeted.

In reponse, Zakharova, on her Telegram channel, mocked him and said that those sanctions were in exchange of UK's sanctions that were "anti-Russian". She wrote that Cleverly was still to answer for his support to Ukraine calling it " support of  Kyiv regime and neo-Nazism".

"Dear James, you don't understand. This is for anti-Russian course and personal sanctions. But it remains to be answered for support of Kyiv regime and neo-Nazism," she said on Telegram. Russia has time and again claimed that it was 'liberating' Ukraine from neo-nazism while defending its "special military operation".

Russia imposes sanctions

Russian Foreign Ministry, last week, announced sanctions against 36 British citizens, including members of UK government, members of security and law enforcement agencies, and journalists, as per a report by BBC Russian. move is in response to what ministry called " anti-Russian course of British government, which continues to actively apply mechanism of personal sanctions and conducts an intensive propaganda campaign to discredit our country and isolate it in international arena".

ministry did not release a list of names of those subject to sanctions, but it is believed that it includes individuals who have spoken out against Russia's actions in Ukraine and its human rights record.

This is not first time that Moscow has imposed sanctions on British citizens. Since start of full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, Moscow has announced sanctions against hundreds of British citizens in response to London's stance on war. move by Russian Foreign Ministry has been widely criticized by international community. Many have called for sanctions to be lifted, arguing that y are an attempt to silence dissent and restrict freedom of speech.