The British government on Wednesday expelled a Russian diplomat and his diplomatic wife after summoning the Russian ambassador in outrage over a campaign of harassment against British diplomats.
Russia on Monday accused two British diplomats of spying and ordered them to leave within two weeks.
In similar vein, Britain also charged that Moscow was engaging in a steadily more aggressive and concerted campaign of harassment against British envoys, issuing hostile and entirely spurious allegations of their activities.
“Russia’s expulsion this week of a British diplomat and diplomatic spouse is yet another escalation. It is entirely false and fabricated in order to justify their increasing harassment of UK diplomats
“The depths to which Russia sinks can only be met through strength,” the Foreign Office said.
The UK government retaliated with a warning that any additional move would constitute an escalation and holding Russia responsible for actively wanting to close the British Embassy in Moscow.
