▁War , ▁have ▁continued ▁to ▁d eter ior ate ▁after ▁Trump ▁took ▁office ▁in ▁January ▁ 2 0 1 7 . ▁ ▁United ▁Kingdom ▁▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁relations ▁between ▁Russia ▁and ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom ▁d eter ior ated ▁when ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom ▁granted ▁political ▁as yl um ▁to ▁Put in ' s ▁former ▁patron , ▁o lig arch ▁Bor is ▁Bere z ov sky . ▁This ▁d eter ior ation ▁was ▁intens ified ▁by ▁alleg ations ▁that ▁the ▁British ▁were ▁sp ying ▁and ▁making ▁secret ▁pay ments ▁to ▁pro - dem ocracy ▁and ▁human ▁rights ▁groups . ▁ ▁Po ison ing ▁of ▁Alexander ▁Lit vin en ko ▁▁ ▁The ▁end ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁brought ▁more ▁stra ined ▁relations ▁in ▁the ▁w ake ▁of ▁the ▁death ▁by ▁pol on ium ▁poison ing ▁of ▁former ▁K GB ▁and ▁F SB ▁officer ▁Alexander ▁Lit vin en ko ▁in ▁London , ▁who ▁became ▁an ▁M I 6 ▁agent ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 3 . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁the ▁crisis ▁in ▁relations ▁continued ▁with ▁exp ulsion ▁of ▁four ▁Russian ▁en vo ys ▁over ▁Russia ' s ▁ref us al ▁to ▁extr ad ite ▁former ▁K GB ▁body guard ▁And rei ▁L ug ovo i ▁to ▁face ▁charges ▁in ▁the ▁murder ▁of ▁Lit vin en ko . ▁Mir ror ing ▁the ▁British ▁actions , ▁Russia ▁exp elled ▁UK ▁diplom ats ▁and ▁took ▁other ▁ret ali atory ▁steps . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 5 –