The British government has stripped a Russian diplomat of his credentials and ordered him to leave the country, a move similar to Moscowʼs actions last year.
This is stated in a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the United Kingdom.
In November 2024, Russia reported that it was expelling a British diplomat for espionage. The FSB domestic intelligence agency accused him of “intelligence and subversive activities that threaten state security”.
London rejected the accusations. Now the European countryʼs Foreign Ministry has adopted a mirror decision. It was called a response to the Kremlinʼs "unprovoked and unfounded" decision last year.
"The UK will not tolerate the intimidation of our staff in this way, and we are therefore taking retaliatory measures. Any further action by Russia will be seen as an escalation and will be met with an appropriate response," a spokesman for the department said.
According to Politico, these events mark another escalation of tensions between London and Moscow. With the start of a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, relations between the countries have fallen to their lowest point since the Cold War, adds Reuters.
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