LONDON

The British Foreign Office on Monday summoned the Russian ambassador and condemned Russia's decision to expel a UK diplomat last month, calling the move "unprovoked and unjustified."

"We condemn in the strongest possible terms Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified decision to expel a British diplomat last month and its baseless accusations against our staff," a Foreign Office spokesperson said in a statement.

The statement noted that the Foreign Office summoned Russian Ambassador Andrey Kelin and expressed that the UK will not stand for "intimidation of British Embassy staff."

The statement noted that as part of a reciprocal action, the UK is revoking the accreditation of a Russian diplomat.

"It is deeply disappointing that Russia continually seeks to disrupt the work of the UK’s diplomatic missions and deter our support for Ukraine," noted the spokesperson, adding that any further action taken by Russia will be considered an "escalation and responded to accordingly."

It came after the Russian Foreign Ministry announced on Jan. 15 that it is expelling a British Embassy employee due to his "affiliation with British intelligence services."

In response to Anadolu's question following the incident, a Foreign Office spokesperson said that it is "carefully considering" options.

In March 2025, the UK Foreign Office expelled a Russian diplomat, an action taken in response to Moscow's expulsion of a British diplomat in November 2024.