Russia has announced the revocation of accreditation for six British diplomats in Moscow, accusing them of espionage. This comes as UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrives in Washington to discuss the possibility of Ukraine using long-range missiles inside Russian territory.
On Friday, the FSB security agency stated that the decision was made after uncovering documents that suggested a section of the UK Foreign Office was involved in coordinating what it termed as an “escalation of the political and military situation” in Ukraine.
According to sources, the decision to expel the diplomats was taken months ago, following charges by the Metropolitan police against a group of British men accused of planning an arson attack on Ukrainian-linked businesses, allegedly on behalf of Russia. However, the expulsion was officially announced just as Starmer is preparing for critical discussions with US President Joe Biden over the use of long-range Storm Shadow missiles in Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has long sought permission to use these missiles, raising the issue during talks with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. While it is believed that Britain and the US have agreed to allow Ukraine to use long-range missiles, an official announcement has not yet been made and is unlikely to occur during Starmer’s visit.
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that such a move would bring Nato countries into direct conflict with Russia. Starmer responded by asserting, “Russia started this conflict. Russia illegally invaded Ukraine. Russia can end this conflict at any time. Ukraine has the right to self-defence.”
In a statement, the FSB claimed that evidence suggested the activities of the British diplomats posed a security threat to Russia. Consequently, the Russian Foreign Ministry, in collaboration with other agencies, revoked the accreditation of six political department members of the British embassy in Moscow, accusing them of espionage and sabotage.
Russian state TV named the six diplomats and displayed their photographs, while an FSB representative told Rossiya-24 that Russia had warned the UK to cease intelligence activities in the country, adding that further expulsions would follow if similar actions were discovered.
Maria Zakharova, a spokesperson for Russia’s Foreign Ministry, alleged that the British embassy’s activities went beyond diplomatic norms and were intended to harm the Russian people. The UK Foreign Office has yet to comment on the matter.
