Russia on Friday accused six British diplomats of spying and said it decided to expel them. The U.K. said the 鈥渃ompletely baseless鈥� move came weeks ago and was linked to its action in May to revoke the credentials of an attach茅 at the Russian Embassy and limit Moscow鈥檚 diplomatic activities in London.
The latest East-West tensions unfolded as British for talks that will include Ukraine鈥檚 request to use Western-supplied weapons to strike targets inside Russia. President Vladimir Putin has warned that Kyiv鈥檚 use of long-range weapons would put NATO at war with Moscow.
Russia鈥檚 Federal Security Service 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 鈥渨hose main task is to inflict a strategic defeat on our country,鈥� and that they were involved in 鈥渋ntelligence-gathering and subversive activities.鈥� It did not identify the six diplomats.
The FSB warned that if other diplomats are found to be carrying out 鈥渟imilar actions,鈥� it 鈥渨ill demand early termination of their missions鈥� to Russia.
Russian TV said the six diplomats had met with independent media and rights groups that have been declared 鈥渇oreign agents鈥� 鈥� 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 鈥渟ubversive actions aimed at causing harm to our people.鈥�
鈥淲e 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.鈥�
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,鈥� the U.K. Foreign Office said the expulsions happened weeks ago, linking them to Britain鈥檚 decision in May to revoke the credentials of an attach茅 at Moscow鈥檚 London embassy and to impose a five-year time limit on all Russian diplomats in Britain.
鈥淭he 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.,鈥� the Foreign Office said in a statement. 鈥淲e are unapologetic about protecting our national interests.鈥�
In May, 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, .
Expulsions of diplomats 鈥� both Western envoys working in Russia and Russians in the West 鈥� 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 鈥渟eek any conflict with Russia.鈥�
鈥淩ussia started this conflict. Russia illegally invaded Ukraine. Russia could end this conflict straight away,鈥� he told reporters.
鈥淯kraine has the right to self-defense and we鈥檝e obviously been absolutely fully supportive of Ukraine鈥檚 right to self-defense 鈥� we鈥檙e providing training capability, as you know. But we don鈥檛 seek any conflict with Russia 鈥� that鈥檚 not our intention in the slightest,鈥� 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 by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy.
Blinken said he had 鈥渘o doubt鈥� that during their visit, noting the U.S. has adapted and 鈥渨ill adjust as necessary鈥� as Russia鈥檚 battlefield strategy has changed.
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Litvinova reported from Tallinn, Estonia, and Lawless reported from London. Associated Press writer Aamer Madhani in Washington contributed.
Dasha Litvinova And Jill Lawless, The Associated Press
