Russia’s Federal Security Service has accused six British diplomats of spying and has decided to withdraw their accreditation. The FSB stated that the diplomats will be expelled, amidst Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s visit to Washington for talks with President Joe Biden regarding Ukraine’s request to use Western-supplied weapons against targets inside Russia. Starmer emphasized that Britain does not seek conflict with Russia, attributing the conflict to Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.
The FSB received documents indicating that the diplomats were sent to Russia with the aim of inflicting a strategic defeat on the country by a division of the UK Foreign Office. The diplomats were accused of engaging in intelligence-gathering and subversive activities. Russian state TV reported that the diplomats had met with independent media and rights groups that have been labeled as “foreign agents” by Russian authorities. The British Embassy did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and there was no immediate comment from the UK Foreign Office.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, concurred with the FSB’s assessments of the British diplomats, stating that they had gone beyond the limits outlined by the Vienna Conventions and were carrying out subversive actions that aimed to harm the Russian people. Expulsions of diplomats, both Western diplomats in Russia and Russian diplomats in Western countries, have become increasingly common since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
According to a report by Russian news outlet RBC, Western countries and Japan expelled a total of 670 Russian diplomats between the beginning of 2022 and October 2023, while Moscow expelled 346 diplomats in response. This number surpasses the total number of expulsions in the previous 20 years. In May, the UK expelled Russia’s defense attaché in London, alleging that he was an undeclared intelligence officer, and closed several Russian diplomatic properties in Britain that were said to be used for spying.
The expulsions of British diplomats come at a time of heightened tensions between Russia and Western countries, particularly following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Prime Minister Starmer’s visit to Washington for talks with President Biden highlights the ongoing discussions about providing support to Ukraine and addressing the conflict with Russia. The British government has reiterated its support for Ukraine’s right to self-defense but has emphasized that it does not seek conflict with Russia.
The accusations against the British diplomats by the FSB and the subsequent expulsions reflect the complex diplomatic relations between Russia and Western countries. The use of diplomatic channels for spying and intelligence-gathering activities underscores the ongoing challenges and mistrust between Russia and Western nations. As expulsions of diplomats continue to occur on both sides, the situation highlights the need for diplomatic efforts to address and de-escalate tensions between Russia and the international community.
