Information
Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has accused six British diplomats of espionage, prompting the Russian Foreign Ministry to revoke their accreditation and expel them from the country. The FSB claims that these diplomats, who worked in the political department of the British embassy in Moscow, were involved in activities showing “signs of espionage and sabotage.” This action follows what Russia describes as “numerous unfriendly steps” by the UK. Russian state television also reported that these diplomats had been in contact with independent media and rights groups labelled as “foreign agents,” a designation frequently used by the Kremlin to target critics.
The British government has dismissed the accusations as “completely baseless,” rejecting the spying claims. The timing of the diplomatic expulsion coincides with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s meeting with US President Joe Biden in Washington, where they are expected to discuss Ukraine’s ongoing conflict with Russia and Kyiv’s request to lift restrictions on the use of Western weapons against Russian targets. This diplomatic row adds another layer of tension to the already strained relations between the UK and Russia amidst the broader context of the Ukraine war.
Source: AFP, dpa, Reuters
So what
This is par for the course, especially with tensions as high as they are now. While it is likely that these British diplomats are intelligence officers, this is quite standard within international politics. It is possible that Russia has known about these officers for quite some time and has now chosen to expel them as “payback” for the UK’s support of Ukraine.
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