Russia’s ambassador to the UK was hauled into the Foreign Office today over ‘malicious and completely baseless’ claims against British diplomats in Moscow.
The Kremlin last week announced the expulsion of six Foreign Office staff from Russia and claimed to have evidence they were engaged in spying and sabotage.
The move ratcheted up tensions between London and Moscow as Sir Keir Starmer prepared to meet Joe Biden in Washington DC.
The PM and US President held talks on giving the go-ahead for Ukraine to use long-range missiles, including Britain’s Storm Shadow weapons, against targets in Russia.
The Foreign Office immediately rejected the claims by Russia’s FSB security agency against its staff in Moscow and today announced the summoning of Russian ambassador Andrey Kelin.
It said the action was taken in response to Moscow’s ‘malicious and deliberate public campaign of aggression against the UK’.
A Foreign Office spokesperson said: ‘The UK condemns in the strongest terms Russia’s unprecedented and unfounded public campaign of aggression against the UK, including the malicious and completely baseless accusations made against Foreign Office staff last week.
‘This behaviour is in direct contravention to Russia’s obligations under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
‘This pattern of behaviour is completely unacceptable, deeply unprofessional, and beneath the standards of conduct between states.
‘This is the latest development in a deliberate campaign by Russia to undermine and threaten UK security and democracy and deter our support for Ukraine, through disinformation, acts of sabotage in Europe and direct harassment and restrictions against our diplomatic missions in Russia.
‘This campaign will not succeed. Russia must stop this activity immediately.’
The expulsion of six UK diplomats from Moscow is the latest in a series of diplomatic rows between Britain and Russia over the past year.
In May, the UK expelled Russia’s defence attache in London, Colonel Maxim Elovik, claiming he was an ‘undeclared military intelligence officer’, removed diplomatic status from several Russian-owned premises, and placed restrictions on Russian diplomatic visas.
In response, Russia expelled Britain’s defence attache in Moscow, Captain Adrian Coghill.
Despite Sir Keir and Mr Biden’s talks last week, no decision has yet been reached on giving Ukraine permission to use long-range missiles to target Russian airfields and military bases.