UK to Revoke Russian Diplomat’s Accreditation in Retaliatory Move

London (Eurotoday) – The UK announced it would revoke the accreditation of a Russian diplomat in retaliation for a similar action taken by Russia last year.

In November, Moscow expelled a UK diplomat on allegations of espionage, a claim that London strongly denied. Britain’s Foreign Office stated that it had summoned the Russian ambassador to communicate its decision. The UK emphasized that this move was in response to “Russia’s unprovoked and baseless decision to strip the accreditation of a British diplomat in Moscow in November.”

Any further action taken by Russia will be considered an escalation and responded to accordingly,

the statement read.

The UK further asserted that it “will not stand for intimidation of our staff in this way,” describing its action as a reciprocal measure.

What were the espionage accusations against Edward Pryor Wilkes?

Russia expelled British diplomat Edward Pryor Wilkes on November 26, 2024, citing allegations of espionage. The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) accused Wilkes of providing false information upon entering Russia and engaging in “intelligence and subversive activities” under diplomatic cover.

Considering this a threat to national security, Russia canceled his diplomatic accreditation and ordered him to leave the country within two weeks. Wilkes had arrived in Moscow in August to replace one of six British diplomats previously expelled for similar accusations.

Relations between Russia and the UK have continued to deteriorate, particularly due to tensions surrounding the war in Ukraine. Since Russia’s invasion in February 2022, diplomatic ties have soured significantly. The British government dismissed Russia’s espionage claims as baseless. While the UK had considered its response, no retaliatory measures had been announced blank”>at that time.