Russia ejects six British representatives from its territory.
In the ongoing tension between Russia and the West over Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Moscow has expelled six British diplomats, accusing them of espionage. This was initially announced by Russia's domestic intelligence agency, the FSB, which is an unusual move. The Russian Foreign Ministry then backed up this decision.
According to the FSB, the British Foreign Office's Eastern Europe department had turned into an intelligence agency, aiming to inflict strategic damage on Russia. They claimed to have found signs of espionage and subversive activities among six diplomats from the political department of the British embassy. However, they didn't provide any specific details. "In response to London's numerous unfriendly actions," the FSB stated, "six employees of the political department of the British embassy in Moscow will lose their accreditation."
Background Information: Ukraine's Weapons
Historically, Russia and Britain have had a more complex relationship, with Russia viewing Britain as its primary rival in Europe. The current reason for the expulsion seems to be discussions about whether Britain and the US will let Ukraine use long-range weapons against Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin mentioned that this would be a direct NATO involvement in the war. In response, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer mentioned that Russia had illegally invaded Ukraine and could end the war immediately by withdrawing.
The state-owned Russian TV channel, Rossia-24, shared photos of the six British diplomats and named them. The channel claimed that these photos showed the diplomats leaving the country.
Keir Starmer, the British Prime Minister, firmly condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine and called for an immediate withdrawal by Moscow. In reaction to this, Russian officials named Keir Stirmer among those British diplomats expelled for alleged espionage.
