The British Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday that it had taken accreditation to the Russian diplomat after Russia expelled the British diplomat who was accused of spying last year. According to the AFP report, TASR reports this.
The Ministry said in a statement that it was summoned by the Russian Ambassador to London and told him that it was “a reaction to unprovoked and unsubstantiated decision of Russia to take accreditation in November to the British diplomat in Moscow”.
Britain “will not tolerate the intimidation of our employees in this way, and therefore we are taking reciprocal steps,” the ministry said. At the same time, it warned that any further steps by Russia would be perceived as escalation, and in this case it would respond.
British diplomacy chief David Lammy said on social networks that Britain protects his national interests. “My message Russia is clear – if you take steps against us we will respond“Lammy added.
At the end of November, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) announced that Russia had expelled the second secretary of the British Embassy’s political department Edward Wilkes, accused of spying. According to FSB, Wilkes has stated false personal data when applying for permission to join the country.
In September, Russia took accreditation with six British diplomats, who were also accused of spying “threatening Russia’s security”. This step, according to AFP, followed the fact that London announced in May last year that it would expel the Russian military attachment for espionage, and with a few Russian properties withdrew the status of diplomatic premises. Britain has also limited the length of Russian diplomats to a maximum of five years, so many of them had to leave the country.
Relations between London and Moscow have been tense for years as a result of two poisoning of leading Russian dissidents in Britain. Britain is also one of the largest supporters of Kiev in the ongoing war, which began with the invasion of Russia on the territory of Ukraine in February 2022.
