Britain expels Russian diplomat in retaliation over spy allegations

Britain announced that it had expelled a Russian diplomat, summoning Moscow’s ambassador in what it described as a reciprocal response to the Russian government’s expulsion last month of a British diplomat, whom Russia accused of being an undeclared spy, Reuters reports.

Russia’s allegations were “baseless” and the expulsion “unprovoked and unjustified,” a spokesperson for Britain’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) said in a statement.

“Summoning the Russian Ambassador, a senior FCDO official made it clear that the UK will not stand for intimidation of British Embassy staff and so we are taking reciprocal action today, revoking the accreditation of a Russian diplomat,” the spokesperson added.

Amid the ongoing war in Ukraine, Russia and Western nations have repeatedly accused one another of conducting espionage campaigns of an intensity not seen since the depths of the Cold War. Western diplomats in Moscow have reported intrusive surveillance and harassment.

Britain also issued a warning to Moscow. “Any further action taken by Russia will be considered an escalation and responded to accordingly,” the spokesperson said.

By Vafa Guliyeva