The Russian Ambassador in London spoke about the US pressure on Britain

The administration of US President Donald Trump is putting pressure on the UK in the trade and economic sphere. On February 19, Russian Ambassador to London Andrey Kelin told Izvestia.

"The kingdom is under pressure from the Donald Trump administration, which openly imposes its own trade and economic interests. Building economic cooperation with the EU is also not going well. Washington and Brussels' demands on the islanders are often contradictory, and sometimes mutually exclusive," Kelin stressed.

According to him, Britain is trying to balance between two large markets, which together account for three quarters of foreign trade turnover.

"The point of London's foreign trade policy is to diversify commercial ties. This is due, among other things, to recent changes in relations with the United States," concluded the Russian ambassador.

Risk-free cards: Visa and Mastercard will be withdrawn from circulation

Banks will notify customers in advance when they need to replace the plastic

The Guardian newspaper reported on February 16 that the heads of British banks will hold the first meeting on the creation of a national alternative to the American Visa and Mastercard payment systems. Talks about a national payment system have been going on for several years, but recent threats have increased concerns about dependence on American companies, given that Visa and Mastercard accounted for 95% of payments in the country in 2025.

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