Matfey Shaheen
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
The Skripal case hysteria is spreading like a wildfire, as Iceland now intends to diplomatically boycott the 2018 FIFA World Cup which is hosted in Russia. This comes after the US has announced the closure of the Russian consulate in Seattle, and the expulsion of 60 diplomats. All of this was in connection with the poisoning of Sergei Skripal, the ex-spy who was poisoned in England. Despite no concrete evidence being presented, London and its allies immediately condemned Russia.
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Before we jump to hysteria, and conspiratorial fear-mongering, of how this boycott came out of nowhere, it is worth noting that Icelandic sources had already announced they would be considering a boycott one week ago. The merely decided to go ahead with the ill-advised idea.
The closure of the consulate in the US is a far greater issue to discuss, as it has a more lasting, and serious effect on diplomacy. Iceland once contemplated boycotting Israel, but retracted it, so at the very least, it shows this type of behavior is not atypical for them. One can only hope they will retract the Russia boycott as well, and diplomacy can return to normality.
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.