UK expels Russian diplomat in tit-for-tat response
Al Jazeera Staff
Britain expelled a Russian diplomat in retaliation for Moscow's expulsion of a British embassy staff member in March over alleged spying. London called the move a proportionate response and condemned Russia's "malicious public smear campaign." Relations between the two countries remain strained since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine four years ago.
On April 2, the United Kingdom expelled a Russian diplomat after Moscow had expelled a British embassy employee the previous month on espionage charges. London described the move as a proportionate retaliatory measure.
The British government informed the Russian ambassador that it had revoked the diplomatic status of an unnamed Russian official, citing the "baseless" decision to expel the British staff member and a subsequent "malicious public smear campaign." A British government spokesperson stressed: "This behavior is completely unacceptable, and we will not tolerate the harassment or intimidation of our diplomatic personnel."
Russia did not immediately respond.
Tense relations
Diplomatic ties between the UK and Russia have severely deteriorated since Moscow launched its full-scale military campaign against Ukraine four years ago. Since then, both sides have repeatedly expelled each other's diplomats.
In March, Russia ordered a British embassy official to leave the country, accusing him of espionage and deliberately providing false information to obtain entry. Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) alleged that the individual sought to gather information about Russia's economy, but the British government flatly denied the accusation.
Earlier this month, British Defence Secretary John Healey said his country had thwarted a Russian reconnaissance mission aimed at monitoring critical undersea infrastructure in the North Atlantic. Healey asserted there was no evidence of damage to British infrastructure. As an island nation, the UK heavily relies on undersea cables for connectivity to the outside world, including the internet. An estimated 60 cables handle nearly all of the country's internet traffic. Russia has consistently denied targeting undersea cables.
