OREANDA-NEWS. Russia's new ambassador to the UK, Andrei Kelin, does not rule out the possibility of mirroring British journalists in response to London’s refusal of visas to Russian media representatives. The diplomat, who took up his duties on November 22, said this to Russian reporters on Tuesday.

“We will work to ensure that Russian journalists in the UK are provided with normal working conditions, and in the case of actions that we consider unfair, we will take retaliatory measures against British journalists in Moscow, including leading information and media giants “We do this in the case of other countries, and we will do so in relation to Great Britain”, he said, answering a question from the Russian media. The head of the diplomatic mission called the current situation ugliness. "The situation with journalists is, no doubt, a disgrace, as representatives of the Russian media continue to work in the UK in difficult conditions", he said.

According to a source in the Russian media in Moscow on November 19, in 2019, the United Kingdom didn't issue a visa to several Russian journalists without explanation. The British diplomatic mission in Moscow declined to comment on this information, noting that between July 1, 2018 and June 30, 2019, 99% of applications by Russian citizens for a British visa were approved.