British diplomats expelled by Russia just before Starmer-Biden meeting

A few hours before the meeting between British Prime Minister Keira Starmer and U.S. President Joe Biden, Russia announced the expulsion of six British diplomats, accusing them of espionage. According to Moscow, London is coordinating the “escalation of the international military-political situation.”

"Based on documents provided by the Russian FSB, in response to numerous hostile actions by London, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has revoked the accreditation of six employees of the political department of the British Embassy in Moscow, whose actions revealed traits of intelligence and sabotage activities," reads the Friday statement by the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation. The FSB does not disclose the names of the British diplomats.

As Politico emphasizes, information about the deportation of British diplomats appeared just a few hours before the planned meeting between British Prime Minister Keira Starmer and U.S. President Joe Biden in Washington, DC, which will address, among other things, the situation in Ukraine.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that the actions of the British diplomats were aimed at “causing harm” to the Russian nation and “went far beyond the boundaries defined in the Vienna Convention.” However, she did not specify what exactly she meant.

"The accusations made today by the FSB against our staff are completely unfounded. Russian authorities revoked the accreditation of six British diplomats last month following actions taken by the British government in response to actions directed by Russia in Europe and in the UK. We do not apologize for protecting our national interests," the British Foreign Ministry responded in a statement.