The FSB claims to have documents with information that the Foreign Office in London coordinated what it calls an “escalation of the political and military situation”. The goal is said to be to cause a Russian defeat in the war in Ukraine.
“The British did not take our hint to stop their intelligence activities in Russia, so we have decided to expel these six diplomats to begin with,” a source at the FSB told the state television channel Russia-24, writes The Guardian .
According to Lord Peter Ricketts, former national security adviser to David Cameron, the action of the FSB is “Russian punishment for Britain being seen as a cheerleader for supplying arms to Ukraine”, reports the BBC.
Putin’s threat to NATO countries
The announcement of the expulsion comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened NATO countries with war. Putin’s threat comes in turn after reports that the US and UK are expected to send new weapons to Ukraine.
An announcement on the issue is expected on Friday in connection with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer visiting US President Joe Biden in Washington.
On Friday morning, Starmer condemned Putin’s actions, saying, among other things, that Britain has no intention of seeking conflict with Russia.
– That is not our intention at all, Starmer told reporters on board his plane en route to the United States.