March 15 – No British government ministers or members of the Royal Family will attend the World Cup finals in Russia this summer as part of the retaliation for the poisoning and attempted murder of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, Prime Minister Theresa May has announced.
May has confirmed the nerve agent used was developed in Russia which she says was highly likely to be behind the attack.
As president of the English FA, the Duke of Cambridge has been a regular at England’s World Cup games along with his brother Prince Harry at recent tournaments but neither will travel to Russia.
“There will be no attendance by ministers – or indeed members of the Royal Family – at this summer’s World Cup in Russia,” May told parliament.
With bilateral relations becoming ever more tense, the FA issued a statement saying they would be working with the government regarding participation at the World Cup.
“The FA will continue to work closely with the UK Government and relevant authorities regarding our participation in this summer’s FIFA World Cup and the Women’s World Cup qualifier in June,” a statement said.
“Our priority for all England matches is to ensure the safety and security of the fans, players and staff. As is standard practice, we will take all travel guidance from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.”
Although the government has not asked fans not to travel and has stopped short of recommending a World Cup boycott, supporters have been advised to be “aware of the possibility of anti-British sentiment or harassment” due to “heightened political tensions between the UK and Russia”.
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