The UK has revoked accreditation for a Russian diplomat and a diplomatic spouse who will need to leave the country, after two British officials were expelled from Russia on Monday.
Expulsion of two British diplomats
In the latest in a series of tit-for-tats, the UK Foreign Office said it was taking “immediate reciprocal action” after Moscow accused a British diplomat and the spouse of another diplomat of spying.
“During the past twelve months, Russia has pursued an increasingly aggressive and coordinated campaign of harassment against British diplomats, pumping out malicious and completely baseless accusations about their work.”
Foreign Office spokesperson
UK Summons Russian Ambassador Over Diplomatic Intimidation
The UK government summoned Russian Ambassador Andrei Kelin following accusations of harassment against its diplomatic staff in Moscow.
A Foreign Office official communicated that the UK would not tolerate intimidation, resulting in the revocation of accreditation for Kelin and his spouse. The UK Foreign Office accused Russia of conducting a year-long campaign of aggression against its diplomats, denying claims of espionage that the Russian government has made against British officials.
UK revokes accreditation for two Russian diplomats
The move by the UK comes in response to Russia’s expulsion of two British diplomats under accusations of espionage. Amid escalating tensions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, both countries have engaged in a series of diplomatic expulsions over the past year.
“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.”
The UK aims to keep diplomatic channels open, even as relations remain severely strained. The ongoing back-and-forth expulsion of two British diplomats underscores the fragile state of bilateral relations between the two nations.