The United Kingdom has revoked the accreditation of a Russian diplomat and his wife in response to Moscow's actions against British diplomats.
This was stated in a release from the UK Foreign Office.
The ministry noted that over the past year, Russia has carried out an "increasingly aggressive and coordinated" campaign of harassment against British diplomats, making "malicious and completely baseless accusations" about their work.
"The expulsion of a British diplomat and his wife by Russia this week is yet another escalation. The allegations against them are completely false, fabricated to justify the growing persecution of British diplomats," the statement said.
The UK Foreign Office believes it is clear that Russia is actively trying to push the British Embassy in Moscow toward closure, disregarding the dangerous escalation risks of its actions. It also noted that summoning the Russian ambassador to the UK Foreign Office on Wednesday was a sign that London will not tolerate intimidation of British embassy staff and their families.
"Therefore, we are taking immediate reciprocal action by revoking the accreditation of a Russian diplomat and his wife," the ministry stated, emphasizing that the decision "was not taken lightly."
The Foreign Office added that any further actions by Russia will be considered an escalation and will provoke an appropriate response.
