Tit-for-tat expulsion of Russian diplomat

BRITAIN has expelled a Russian diplomat in response to an “increasingly aggressive and co-ordinated campaign of harassment” against UK officials in Moscow.

- Jonathan Walker Whitehall

The move is a tit-for-tat retaliation to a similar move by despot Vladimir Putin’s government this week.

The Foreign Office said it summoned Kremlin ambassador Andrey Kelin to make clear “the UK will not stand for intimidation of British embassy staff and their families”.

A spokesman claimed the Russian state was “actively seeking to drive the British embassy in Moscow towards closure” with its actions.

It came as Donald Trump threatened “devastating” trade and economic consequences on Russia if Putin failed to agree to a 30-day ceasefire with Ukraine.

He said: “There are things that wouldn’t be pleasant in a financial sense. I can do things financially that would be very bad for Russia. I don’t want to do it because I want to get peace.” Sir Keir Starmer said he would "redouble our efforts" to end the war in Ukraine as he prepared for further talks with European leaders about a "coalition of the willing" to deter future Russian aggression.

The Prime Minister will host an online summit on Saturday after Defence Secretary John Healey met counterparts from France, Germany, Italy and Poland in Paris yesterday.