The United Kingdom (UK) on Monday revoked the accreditation of a Russian diplomat, a reciprocal action for the expulsion of a British diplomat in January.
Declaring that the UK will not stand for intimidation of British Embassy staff, the government announced the summoning of the Russian Ambassador.
A statement by an FCDO spokesperson condemned “Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified decision” as well as “its baseless accusations” against the banned diplomat.
The UK accuses Moscow of “continually” seeking to disrupt its diplomatic missions and deter its support for Ukraine, warning that “any further action” will be considered an escalation.
Last month, the FSB claimed that Gareth Samuel Davies, a second secretary at the UK embassy, was working undercover for Britain’s intelligence service.
The Russian media published the diplomat’s photos after Moscow dubbed him an undeclared spy. Davies was given two weeks to leave the country.
Britain’s charge d’affaires in Russia, Danae Dholakia, was summoned by Russia’s foreign ministry, which issued a formal protest about the situation.
”Moscow would not tolerate the activities of undeclared British intelligence officers in Russia,” the ministry said in a statement.
London then vowed a response, noting that the “malicious and baseless” accusations undermined the basic conditions needed for embassies to operate.
