Russia ordered a British diplomat to leave the country within two weeks after stripping him of accreditation over alleged espionage, the Federal Security Service (FSB) announced on March 30, further escalating tensions between Moscow and London.
The move comes amid a long-running diplomatic standoff between Russia and the United Kingdom, one of Ukraine’s strongest backers, with both sides repeatedly accusing each other of hostile activities.
Russia’s Federal Security Service said the Second Secretary at the U.K. Embassy in Moscow was engaged in “espionage and subversive activities threatening the security” of the country.
The agency also accused the diplomat of attempting to obtain sensitive information during informal meetings with Russian economic experts.
A spokesperson for the U.K. Foreign Ministry rejected the accusations as baseless and “completely unacceptable” in comments to the Kyiv Independent.
“Russia has pursued an increasingly aggressive and coordinated campaign of harassment against British diplomats, pumping out malicious and completely baseless accusations about their work,” the spokesperson said.
“The U.K. does not stand for intimidation of British embassy staff and their families.”
The FSB also warned Russian citizens against meeting British diplomats without prior approval from the Russian Foreign Ministry, cautioning that violations could lead to “negative consequences.”
The expulsion follows a similar incident a year earlier, when Moscow removed another British Embassy employee and the spouse of a British diplomat, also alleging espionage.
In response, the United Kingdom revoked the accreditation of a Russian diplomat and the spouse of another Russian envoy.
Relations between Moscow and London have remained strained for years.
Russia frequently accuses the U.K. of interfering in its domestic affairs and supporting opposition activities, while London condemns what it describes as harassment of its diplomatic staff.
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