UK to expel Russian diplomat
Illustrative photo: UK revokes the accreditation of a Russian diplomat (Getty Images)
The UK is expelling a Russian diplomat in response to Moscow’s expulsion of a British diplomat last November, according to a spokesperson for the UK Foreign Office.
The Russian ambassador, Andrei Kelin, was summoned for a meeting with a senior British diplomat, where he was informed that a Russian diplomat would be stripped of accreditation.
"This is in response to Russia’s unprovoked and baseless decision to strip the accreditation of a British diplomat in Moscow in November," the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson added that the UK will not stand for intimidation of its diplomats and is taking retaliatory measures.
"Any further action taken by Russia will be considered an escalation and responded to accordingly," he added.
Expulsion of the British diplomat
On November 26 last year, Russia accused a British diplomat of engaging in espionage and subversive activities that allegedly threatened the country’s national security.
As a result, Russian officials gave the British diplomat two weeks to leave the country.
