LONDON (Reuters) -Britain revoked the accreditation of a Russian diplomat on Wednesday in response to Russia’s expulsion of two British diplomats this week and it accused Russia of trying to force its embassy in Moscow to close.
The move is the latest in a series of tit-for-tat diplomatic sanctions after Russia accused two British diplomats on Monday of spying – allegations rejected by Britain as “baseless” – and gave them two weeks to leave the country.
“It is clear that the Russian state is actively seeking to drive the British Embassy in Moscow towards closure and has no regard for the dangerous escalatory impact of this,” a Foreign Office spokesperson said in a statement announcing the move.
Russia’s embassy in London did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Moscow has been angered by Britain’s continued military support for Ukraine and by Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s recent statements about putting British boots on the ground in Ukraine as part of a potential peacekeeping force.
Britain said it had summoned the Russian ambassador in London on Wednesday and made clear that it would not stand for the “intimidation” of its diplomats and embassy staff.
“We have drawn a line under this incident and demand Russia do the same,” the Foreign Office spokesperson said. “Any further action taken by Russia will be considered an escalation and responded to accordingly.”
Britain last month revoked the accreditation of another Russian diplomat, in retaliation to a similar move made by Moscow last year.
(Reporting by William James, Sachin Ravikumar and Sam Tabahriti; editing by Gareth Jones)
