Russia has expelled six British diplomats from Moscow, accusing them of espionage and sabotage. The UK Foreign Office has called these allegations “completely baseless”, stating that this move is a tit-for-tat response to Western pressure on Russian activities in Europe and the UK. The FSB, Russia’s security service, claimed to have “documentary proof” of the UK’s involvement in escalating the situation in Ukraine.
The British government has stated that it is unapologetic about protecting its national interests, as tensions between the two countries continue to rise. This expulsion comes ahead of a meeting between UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and US President Joe Biden, where they are expected to discuss the crisis in Ukraine.
The FSB accused the British diplomats of recruiting Russian teenagers, organizing provocations, and holding talks with opposition figures in the UK ambassador’s residency in Moscow. This latest move follows previous diplomatic expulsions and property restrictions by the UK against Russia earlier this year.
Starmer has reaffirmed the UK’s support for Ukraine as “unwavering” and is expected to discuss with Biden the possibility of allowing Ukraine to use Western-supplied long-range weapons against Russia. However, Putin has warned that such a move would mean NATO is “at war” with Russia. The political and military implications of this decision are now being debated, as diplomatic tensions between the countries continue to escalate.
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