UK requests Russia’s suspension from Interpol
UK Home Secretary Priti Patel called on the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) to suspend Russia from its systems on Sunday, arguing that Moscow poses a “direct threat” to international law enforcement.
In a statement, Patel announced that she had written a letter “alongside counterparts” from the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand calling on Interpol to “take a decision this week, in accordance with its rules, on the immediate suspension of Russia’s access to its systems.”
Russia’s actions are a direct threat to the safety of individuals and to international law enforcement cooperation
Patel announced last week that the UK would be “leading” the “international effort” to get Russia suspended from Interpol following a request from the Ukrainian government.
“The Ukrainian government has today requested that the Russian government be suspended from its membership of Interpol, and we will be leading all international effort to that effect,” she said at the time.
Russia has been a member of Interpol since 1990.
Members of the UK government have been cited by the Kremlin for worsened tensions between Moscow and NATO over the past few weeks due to their controversial comments.
Last month, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov pointed to British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss as the reason why Moscow placed its nuclear weapons on high alert.
Truss had made comments calling for the West to “stop” Russian President Vladimir Putin in Ukraine. Moscow said the “unacceptable” comments hinted at “possible altercations or even collisions and clashes between NATO and Russia.”
