He has to leave the country: UK expels Russian ambassador

The United Kingdom is expelling a Russian diplomat in response to similar actions by the Russian Federation against a British representative in November. Back then, Moscow made an "unprovoked and unjustified decision."

Russian Ambassador Andrey Kelin was summoned to a meeting at the British Foreign Office to inform them of the official revocation of the accreditation of one of the Russian diplomats. This was reported on the British government portal.

"The United Kingdom will not tolerate the intimidation of our staff in this way, so we are taking action in response," said a British Foreign Office spokesman.

The British government emphasized that any further actions by Moscow would be considered an escalation and would be responded to.

The BBC noted that Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the move was a response to Russia's decision to revoke the accreditation of a British diplomat in November, accusing him of espionage and providing false information.

"We make no apologies for defending our national interests. My message to Russia is clear: if you take action against us, we will respond," Lammy said.

Accreditation is the government's recognition of a diplomat's status, which grants them certain immunities depending on their rank.

To recap, relations between the UK and Russia have deteriorated significantly since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Since then, the expulsion of diplomats has become part of a tense diplomatic struggle between the countries.

Last November, Moscow expelled a British diplomat, accusing him of providing false information and espionage. The photo and name of this representative was even published in the Russian media. At the time, the UK called these accusations groundless.

In addition, in September, Russia revoked the accreditation of six British diplomats, forcing them to leave the country. In May, a British military attaché was also forced to leave Russia after London took a similar step against a Russian representative.

Earlier, Moscow imposed sanctions on a number of British politicians and journalists, including government officials and reporters from the BBC, Sky News, and Channel 4. Recently, another 30 people were added to the blacklist, including Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and other members of the Labor Cabinet.

As reported by OBOZ.UA, the UK officially convenes a meeting of the contact group on Ukraine's defense in the Ramstein format. It will take place on February 12, 2025, at NATO headquarters in Brussels.

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