Russia on Friday accused six British diplomats of spying and said it decided to expel them. The U.K. said the “completely baseless” move came weeks ago and was linked to its action in May to revoke the credentials of an attaché at the Russian Embassy and limit Moscow’s diplomatic activities in London.See the story in the video aboveThe latest East-West tensions unfolded as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer visits Washington for talks that will include Ukraine’s request to use Western-supplied weapons to strike targets inside Russia. President Vladimir Putin has warned that Kyiv’s use of long-range weapons would put NATO at war with Moscow.Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said in an online statement that the Foreign Ministry withdrew the British envoys’ accreditations, and Russian TV quoted an FSB official as saying it was decided to expel them.The FSB said it received documents indicating the diplomats were sent to Russia by a division of the U.K.’s Foreign Office “whose main task is to inflict a strategic defeat on our country,” and that they were involved in “intelligence-gathering and subversive activities.” It did not identify the six diplomats.The FSB warned that if other diplomats are found to be carrying out “similar actions,” it “will demand early termination of their missions” to Russia.Russian TV said the six diplomats had met with independent media and rights groups that have been declared “foreign agents” — a label Russian authorities have actively used against organizations and individuals critical of the Kremlin.Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said in a statement that the diplomats were carrying out “subversive actions aimed at causing harm to our people.””We fully agree with the assessments of the activities of the British so-called diplomats expressed by the Russian FSB,” she added in an online statement. “The British Embassy has gone far beyond the limits outlined by the Vienna Conventions.”Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said breaking off diplomatic relations with the U.K. was not on the table right now.In calling the Russian allegations “completely baseless,” the U.K. Foreign Office said the expulsions happened weeks ago, linking them to Britain’s decision in May to revoke the credentials of an attaché at Moscow’s London embassy and to impose a five-year time limit on all Russian diplomats in Britain.”The Russian authorities revoked the diplomatic accreditation of six U.K. diplomats in Russia last month, following action taken by the U.K. government in response to Russian state-directed activity across Europe and in the U.K.,” the Foreign Office said in a statement. “We are unapologetic about protecting our national interests.”In May, the U.K. expelled Russia’s defense attaché in London, alleging he was an undeclared intelligence officer, and it closed several Russian diplomatic properties in Britain that it said were being used for spying. About a week later, Russia reciprocated and expelled Britain’s defense attaché.Expulsions of diplomats — both Western envoys working in Russia and Russians in the West — have become increasingly common since Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.Last year, the Russian news outlet RBC counted that Western countries and Japan expelled a total 670 Russian diplomats between the start of 2022 and October 2023, while Moscow responded by expelling 346 diplomats. According to RBC, that was more than in the previous 20 years combined.On his way to visit the U.S., Starmer said Britain does not “seek any conflict with Russia.””Russia started this conflict. Russia illegally invaded Ukraine. Russia could end this conflict straight away,” he told reporters.”Ukraine has the right to self-defense, and we’ve obviously been absolutely fully supportive of Ukraine’s right to self-defense — we’re providing training capability, as you know. But we don’t seek any conflict with Russia — that’s not our intention in the slightest,” he said.Ukraine wants approval to use some weapons to strike deeper into Russia, and there are signs that President Joe Biden might shift U.S. policy in response.While the issue is expected to be at the top of the agenda for their meeting, it appeared unlikely that Biden and Starmer would announce any policy changes at this time, according to two U.S. officials familiar with planning for the talks. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the private deliberations.Ukrainian officials renewed their pleas to use Western-provided long-range missiles against targets deeper inside Russia during this week’s visit to Kyiv by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy.Blinken said he had “no doubt” that Biden and Starmer would discuss the matter during their visit, noting the U.S. has adapted and “will adjust as necessary” as Russia’s battlefield strategy has changed.History of Russia-U.K. diplomatic tit-for-tatThe six expelled U.K. diplomats are but a small number in the history of Moscow-London acts of expulsion, which have a record of angry bursts over the past decades. Both sides have expelled more than 20 at a time — and in one case, more than 100.The expulsions are frequently tit-for-tat moves, with one side retaliating for the act of the other, something Russian diplomatic language calls a “mirror answer.”Here is a look at some major acts of expulsion between London and Moscow:The ‘Skripal Affair’ in 2018Sergei Skripal, a Russian intelligence officer who was a double agent for Britain, was severely poisoned along with his daughter in Salisbury, where he had settled after being released by Russia in a 2010 prisoner swap. The poison was identified as Novichok, a Soviet-developed nerve agent.A week and a half after the Skripals were discovered in grave condition, British Prime Minister Teresa May declared Russia to be responsible for the attack and ordered the expulsion of 23 diplomats. Russia then expelled an equal number of Britons.The ‘Gordievsky Scandal’ in 1985Oleg Gordievsky was the KGB’s station chief in London, but had been passing along information to British intelligence for years. He was called back to Moscow for consultations in 1985 and decided to go despite fears that his role as a double agent might have been exposed.He was interrogated but not charged, and Britain arranged an undercover operation to spirit him out of the Soviet Union. In the aftermath of the operation, Britain used information from Gordievsky to expel 25 Soviet diplomats. Moscow retaliated two days later with the same number.Operation FOOT in 1971In an effort to curb suspected widespread espionage by Soviet diplomats and even their wives, British agents managed to recruit a member of the Soviet trade delegation who was also a KGB operative. The agent, Oleg Lyalin, provided extensive information identifying others working for the KGB.Britain hesitated to act on the information, concerned it could jeopardize international talks that were underway on the status of the divided city of Berlin. After the talks concluded, the U.K. announced that 90 Soviet officials would be expelled and 15 others who were out of the country at the time would not be allowed to return — 105 in all.—Litvinova reported from Tallinn, Estonia, and Lawless reported from London. Associated Press writer Aamer Madhani in Washington contributed.
Russia on Friday accused six British diplomats of spying and said it decided to expel them. The U.K. said the “completely baseless” move came weeks ago and was linked to its action in May to revoke the credentials of an attaché at the Russian Embassy and limit Moscow’s diplomatic activities in London.
See the story in the video above
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The latest East-West tensions unfolded as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer visits Washington for talks that will include Ukraine’s request to use Western-supplied weapons to strike targets inside Russia. President Vladimir Putin has warned that Kyiv’s use of long-range weapons would put NATO at war with Moscow.
Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said in an online statement that the Foreign Ministry withdrew the British envoys’ accreditations, and Russian TV quoted an FSB official as saying it was decided to expel them.
The FSB said it received documents indicating the diplomats were sent to Russia by a division of the U.K.’s Foreign Office “whose main task is to inflict a strategic defeat on our country,” and that they were involved in “intelligence-gathering and subversive activities.” It did not identify the six diplomats.
The FSB warned that if other diplomats are found to be carrying out “similar actions,” it “will demand early termination of their missions” to Russia.
Russian TV said the six diplomats had met with independent media and rights groups that have been declared “foreign agents” — a label Russian authorities have actively used against organizations and individuals critical of the Kremlin.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said in a statement that the diplomats were carrying out “subversive actions aimed at causing harm to our people.”
“We fully agree with the assessments of the activities of the British so-called diplomats expressed by the Russian FSB,” she added in an online statement. “The British Embassy has gone far beyond the limits outlined by the Vienna Conventions.”
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said breaking off diplomatic relations with the U.K. was not on the table right now.
In calling the Russian allegations “completely baseless,” the U.K. Foreign Office said the expulsions happened weeks ago, linking them to Britain’s decision in May to revoke the credentials of an attaché at Moscow’s London embassy and to impose a five-year time limit on all Russian diplomats in Britain.
“The Russian authorities revoked the diplomatic accreditation of six U.K. diplomats in Russia last month, following action taken by the U.K. government in response to Russian state-directed activity across Europe and in the U.K.,” the Foreign Office said in a statement. “We are unapologetic about protecting our national interests.”
In May, the U.K. expelled Russia’s defense attaché in London, alleging he was an undeclared intelligence officer, and it closed several Russian diplomatic properties in Britain that it said were being used for spying. About a week later, Russia reciprocated and expelled Britain’s defense attaché.
Expulsions of diplomats — both Western envoys working in Russia and Russians in the West — have become increasingly common since Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Last year, the Russian news outlet RBC counted that Western countries and Japan expelled a total 670 Russian diplomats between the start of 2022 and October 2023, while Moscow responded by expelling 346 diplomats. According to RBC, that was more than in the previous 20 years combined.
On his way to visit the U.S., Starmer said Britain does not “seek any conflict with Russia.”
“Russia started this conflict. Russia illegally invaded Ukraine. Russia could end this conflict straight away,” he told reporters.
“Ukraine has the right to self-defense, and we’ve obviously been absolutely fully supportive of Ukraine’s right to self-defense — we’re providing training capability, as you know. But we don’t seek any conflict with Russia — that’s not our intention in the slightest,” he said.
Ukraine wants approval to use some weapons to strike deeper into Russia, and there are signs that President Joe Biden might shift U.S. policy in response.
While the issue is expected to be at the top of the agenda for their meeting, it appeared unlikely that Biden and Starmer would announce any policy changes at this time, according to two U.S. officials familiar with planning for the talks. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the private deliberations.
Ukrainian officials renewed their pleas to use Western-provided long-range missiles against targets deeper inside Russia during this week’s visit to Kyiv by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy.
Blinken said he had “no doubt” that Biden and Starmer would discuss the matter during their visit, noting the U.S. has adapted and “will adjust as necessary” as Russia’s battlefield strategy has changed.
History of Russia-U.K. diplomatic tit-for-tat
The six expelled U.K. diplomats are but a small number in the history of Moscow-London acts of expulsion, which have a record of angry bursts over the past decades. Both sides have expelled more than 20 at a time — and in one case, more than 100.
The expulsions are frequently tit-for-tat moves, with one side retaliating for the act of the other, something Russian diplomatic language calls a “mirror answer.”
Here is a look at some major acts of expulsion between London and Moscow:
The ‘Skripal Affair’ in 2018
Sergei Skripal, a Russian intelligence officer who was a double agent for Britain, was severely poisoned along with his daughter in Salisbury, where he had settled after being released by Russia in a 2010 prisoner swap. The poison was identified as Novichok, a Soviet-developed nerve agent.
A week and a half after the Skripals were discovered in grave condition, British Prime Minister Teresa May declared Russia to be responsible for the attack and ordered the expulsion of 23 diplomats. Russia then expelled an equal number of Britons.
The ‘Gordievsky Scandal’ in 1985
Oleg Gordievsky was the KGB’s station chief in London, but had been passing along information to British intelligence for years. He was called back to Moscow for consultations in 1985 and decided to go despite fears that his role as a double agent might have been exposed.
He was interrogated but not charged, and Britain arranged an undercover operation to spirit him out of the Soviet Union. In the aftermath of the operation, Britain used information from Gordievsky to expel 25 Soviet diplomats. Moscow retaliated two days later with the same number.
Operation FOOT in 1971
In an effort to curb suspected widespread espionage by Soviet diplomats and even their wives, British agents managed to recruit a member of the Soviet trade delegation who was also a KGB operative. The agent, Oleg Lyalin, provided extensive information identifying others working for the KGB.
Britain hesitated to act on the information, concerned it could jeopardize international talks that were underway on the status of the divided city of Berlin. After the talks concluded, the U.K. announced that 90 Soviet officials would be expelled and 15 others who were out of the country at the time would not be allowed to return — 105 in all.
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Litvinova reported from Tallinn, Estonia, and Lawless reported from London. Associated Press writer Aamer Madhani in Washington contributed.
