Russia has withdrawn the accreditation of six British diplomats, accusing them of espionage.
The FSB, Russia’s security service, released a statement claiming to have received documents proving Britain’s involvement in causing a “strategic defeat” to Russia.
The six diplomats have been identified and shown on Russian state television. While the UK has not yet responded, the Foreign Office has been contacted for comment.
This move coincides with UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s visit to Washington, where he is set to discuss the Ukraine conflict with US President Joe Biden.
One topic expected to be discussed is the potential approval for Kyiv to target Russian sites using their missiles. Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that such actions would be seen as a significant escalation of the war, equating to NATO’s “direct participation.”
He added, “We will take corresponding decisions based on the threats that will be created to us.”
Former UK national security advisor Lord Peter Ricketts suggested that the expulsion was a retaliatory response to the UK’s ongoing support of Ukraine and the upcoming Washington meeting, calling the accusations against the diplomats “trumped up.”
He noted that Putin’s decision to act first was likely an attempt to “intimidate Western politicians.”
Diplomatic accreditation, which grants official status under the UN’s guidelines, was revoked due to alleged intelligence activities by the diplomats.
Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated in a Telegram post that Moscow agreed with the FSB’s assessment of the diplomats’ conduct, accusing the British embassy of overstepping boundaries defined by the Vienna Conventions.
An FSB official told Russian media that previous warnings to halt intelligence-gathering activities were ignored.
The FSB also warned that more British diplomats could face a similar fate if they were found engaging in related activities.
Diplomatic expulsions have become more frequent since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Earlier this year, British diplomat Capt Adrian Coghill was ordered to leave Russia following the expulsion of a Russian defence attaché from London over alleged espionage.
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy recently announced £600m in aid to Ukraine to assist with the country’s “humanitarian, energy, and stabilisation needs.”
At a summit in Germany last week, the UK committed to sending additional short-range missiles to Ukraine, while the US pledged another $250m in military support.
Source-BBC
