The Foreign Office hauled in Russian ambassador to the UK Andrei Kelin over an ‘increasingly aggressive and coordinated campaign of harassment against British diplomats’
The UK will immediately expel a Russian diplomat and spouse following “an increasingly aggressive and coordinated campaign of harassment” against British diplomats.
In a tit-for-tat response to actions taken by Moscow earlier this week, the UK Government revoked the credentials for two Russian officials. The Foreign Office hauled in Russian ambassador to the UK Andrei Kelin today following an “increasingly aggressive and coordinated campaign of harassment against British diplomats”.
A Foreign Office spokesman claimed the Russian state was “actively seeking to drive the British embassy in Moscow towards closure”. It comes after Russia’s domestic security service said it would expel a British diplomat and the spouse of another for alleged spying. The Foreign Office branded these claims “baseless and malicious”.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said: “We are taking immediate action in direct response to Russia’s pernicious targeting of British diplomats and their families. We will not tolerate the Kremlin’s relentless and unacceptable campaign of intimidation, nor their repeated attempts to threaten UK security.”
Announcing the UK’s response, a Foreign Office spokesman said: “During the past 12 months, Russia has pursued an increasingly aggressive and co-ordinated campaign of harassment against British diplomats, pumping out malicious and completely baseless accusations about their work.
“Russia’s expulsion this week of a British diplomat and diplomatic spouse is yet another escalation. The accusations made against these individuals are entirely false, fabricated in order to justify their increasing harassment of UK diplomats.
“It is clear that the Russian state is actively seeking to drive the British embassy in Moscow towards closure and has no regard for the dangerous escalatory impact of this. Summoning the Russian Ambassador today, a senior Foreign Office official made clear that the UK will not stand for intimidation of British embassy staff and their families.
“Consequently, we are taking immediate reciprocal action, revoking accreditation for a Russian diplomat and a diplomatic spouse.”
The UK said maintaining diplomatic ties was important despite the “extremely difficult” situation caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the “long-running campaign of hostile action against the UK”.
“We have drawn a line under this incident and demand Russia do the same,” the spokesman said. “Any further action taken by Russia will be considered an escalation and responded to accordingly.”
It marks a fresh hit to relations between the UK and Russia, which have been at rock bottom since Moscow’s decision to invade Ukraine three years ago. Frantic diplomatic efforts are being made to agree a ceasefire but the UK has made clear that this can only be with Kyiv’s agreement.
