Britain and Russia to Minimize Economic Fallout

Great Britain expelled four Russian diplomats, after Russia refused to hand over a suspect, a former KGB agent, in the radioactive poisoning death of Alexander Litvinenko. Both countries claim that they do not want to harm overall relations. British investors and firms value the Russian market, and Russia contributes to international diplomatic efforts, for example, preventing nuclear ambitions in Iran and North Korea. The favored financial market for Russian firms is London. Overall, bilateral trade between the two countries has tripled over the past five years, and mutual foreign investments are high. Even as accusations and denials of murder fly back and forth, the two nations do not want to reduce trade. But trade is linked to politics and ethics. Uncertainty in any area, triggered by a cross-border murder, can cloud overall relations. – YaleGlobal