The UK government announced on Wednesday that it had expelled a Russian diplomat and their spouse in response to what it described as a “campaign of harassment” against British diplomats.
A senior Foreign Office official summoned the Russian ambassador to deliver a clear message: the UK will not tolerate intimidation of its embassy staff and their families. As a result, the UK has revoked the accreditation of a Russian diplomat and their spouse, the Foreign Office confirmed in a statement.
This comes after Russia accused two British diplomats of espionage earlier in the week, ordering them to leave the country within two weeks.
The UK strongly refuted these claims, calling them “false and baseless” and accusing Moscow of engaging in an “increasingly aggressive and coordinated” effort to intimidate British diplomats.
“Russia’s latest expulsion of a British diplomat and a diplomatic spouse is yet another escalation,” the Foreign Office stated, adding that any further moves by Moscow would be considered an escalation and met with a firm response.
The UK also accused Russia of attempting to pressure the British Embassy in Moscow toward closure, emphasizing that it would not be intimidated by such tactics.
