It’s latest tit-for-tat move after Russia booted out a British diplomat late last year.
LONDON — The British government revoked a Russian diplomat’s accreditation Thursday in an ongoing spying row.
In the latest tit-for-tat move, Russian Ambassador to the U.K. Andrey Kelin was summoned to meet a “senior British official,” a spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said. They said the move had come in response to the “unprovoked and baseless decision” to strip a British diplomat’s own accreditation to operate in Russia last year.
“The U.K. will not stand for intimidation of our staff in this way, and so we are taking reciprocal action,” the spokesperson added. “Any further action taken by Russia will be considered an escalation and responded to accordingly.”
Russia said last November that it was expelling a British diplomat for alleged spying. The FSB domestic intelligence agency accused the diplomat of “reconnaissance and subversive activities that threaten the country’s security.”
They said the diplomat had “intentionally provided false information when applying for entry into Russia, thereby violating Russian law.” A Downing Street spokesperson at the time branded those allegations “baseless.”
It marks the latest ratcheting up of tensions between London and Moscow.
Defense Secretary John Healey confirmed last month a Russian spy ship entered British waters in November and January.