Britain’s foreign ministry said on Wednesday it had expelled a Russian diplomat in a reciprocal move after Russia last month expelled a British embassy official in Moscow and accused him of economic espionage.
A government spokesperson said Britain strongly condemned Russia’s actions in March, describing the accusations as unjustified and dismissing Russia’s allegations as baseless and part of a campaign of intimidation.
“This behaviour is wholly unacceptable, and we will not tolerate harassment or intimidation of our diplomatic staff,” the spokesperson said.
The Russian ambassador to London was summoned to the foreign office and informed that the government was revoking the accreditation of a Russian diplomat. The diplomat was not named.
“Any further action by Russia will be treated as an escalation and met with a firm and proportionate response,” the spokesperson added.
The Russian embassy in London did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
(Reporting by William James）
