Russian Intelligence Calls US-Moscow Dialogue A Threat To Britain

JAKARTA - Russia's SVR foreign intelligence agency has stepped up Moscow's criticism of the British government. Intelligence calls London a view of Russia-US dialogue on Ukraine as a threat to its interests.

Russia expelled two British diplomats on spying charges. The two diplomats were given two weeks to leave the country.

The pair appeared to be the first Western diplomats to be expelled from Russia since Moscow and Washington opened talks to restore staff at the US and Russian embassies that were depleted due to the eviction of retaliation, part of the restoration of President Donald Trump's relations with the Kremlin, which has alarmed European allies.

Similar evictions have sharply restricted the function of Russian embassies across the West and Western missions in Russia since Moscow launched a massive offensive against Ukraine in 2022.

As reported by Reuters on Monday, March 10, Russia's Federal Security Service said the two diplomats had provided false information when obtaining permission to enter Russia.

The two British diplomats are said to have "identified signs of intelligence and subversive work" that they have carried out, which is detrimental to Russia's security. The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned representatives of the British embassy regarding the expulsion.

Britain's ongoing support for the Ukrainian military and Prime Minister Keir Starmer's recent remarks on the deployment of British troops on land and aircraft in the air in Ukraine as part of a potentially peacekeeping force that has angered Moscow.

Russian police in February opened a criminal investigation into the alleged attack on a freelance journalist by someone believed to be an employee of the British embassy, a charge London denies as a "interference operation" designed to intimidate legitimate diplomats.

The announcement came a day after Britain announced it would expel Russian diplomats in retaliation for Moscow's expulsion of British diplomats in November.

Relations between Britain and Russia have fallen to post-Cold War lows since the start of Ukraine's war. Britain has joined the wave of consecutive sanctions against Russia and provided weapons to Ukraine.