Latest news with #AndreyKelin
Russia Today
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
British diplomacy speaks only in ultimatums
British diplomats have resorted to only using ultimatums with their international counterparts, Russia's ambassador to London, Andrey Kelin, said in an interview to RIA Novosti published on Sunday. On Tuesday, Downing Street announced it would impose its second major package of sanctions on Russia this month, while once again demanding that Moscow agree to a full and unconditional ceasefire in the Ukraine conflict. The UK, along with France and Germany, had issued similar demands and threatened further sanctions in the lead-up to the direct peace talks between Kiev and Moscow last week in Istanbul. 'I must say that over the past three years, I have heard many ultimatums here, especially in the Foreign Office. It seems that London has forgotten how to speak differently,' Kelin told RIA. He added that ambassadors from some other nations in London have also expressed concerns about 'the tone that British diplomacy has adopted.' UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is no less 'warlike' than his predecessors, according to the Russian diplomat. Starmer and former UK leaders Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, and Rishi Sunak have all demonstrated the 'same belligerence and irresponsibility in assessing the international situation and the consequences of their actions,' Kelin said. Despite changes in leadership, the UK has maintained a consistent 'anti-Russian course and senseless, reckless support for Ukraine,' he added. Both 'our bilateral relations' and 'the security situation in Europe' would benefit if London relearned how 'to speak respectfully and listen,' the ambassador said. Commenting on the latest round of sanctions announced by Downing Street, the Russian embassy in the UK emphasized that neither 'unlawful restrictive measures' nor 'ultimatums and threats' can influence Moscow's chosen path. Russia will not allow itself to be spoken to in such a way, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, commenting on last week's sanctions threats. 'The language of ultimatums is unacceptable for Russia,' he stressed. Russia knows how to adapt to further Western restrictive measures and how to minimize their effect, Russian officials say. Despite nearly 29,000 sanctions having been imposed by the West on Russia in recent years, the Russian economy has only grown more resilient, President Vladimir Putin said in March.
The Guardian
12-03-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
UK accuses Russia of driving its Moscow embassy towards closure
Russia is attempting to push the UK embassy in Moscow towards closing and has no regard for the escalatory impact of such a move, the Foreign Office has said. The UK expelled a Russian diplomat and their spouse on Wednesday in a tit-for-tat response to the expulsion of two British diplomats for alleged espionage, a claim UK officials strenuously deny. In a strongly worded statement, the Foreign Office said: 'During the past 12 months, Russia has pursued an increasingly aggressive and coordinated campaign of harassment against British diplomats, pumping out malicious and completely baseless accusations about their work. 'Russia's expulsion this week of a British diplomat and diplomatic spouse is yet another escalation. The accusations made against these individuals are entirely false, fabricated in order to justify their increasing harassment of UK diplomats. 'It is clear that the Russian state is actively seeking to drive the British embassy in Moscow towards closure and has no regard for the dangerous escalatory impact of this.' A senior Foreign Office official summoned the Russian ambassador, Andrey Kelin, and told him that the UK would not stand for the intimidation of British embassy staff and their families. The official said: 'We do not take this decision lightly but we have always made clear to Russia that if they escalate, we will take reciprocal action. The depths to which Russia sinks can only be met through strength.' The foreign secretary, David Lammy, on his way to a meeting of his G7 counterparts in Canada, said: 'We will not tolerate the Kremlin's relentless and unacceptable campaign of intimidation, nor their repeated attempts to threaten UK security.' The Foreign Office stressed that it believed in keeping diplomatic lines of communication open and said it would regard the latest episode as closed so long as Russia did not seek to escalate further. In throwing out two British diplomats, Moscow said it 'will not tolerate the presence of undeclared British intelligence personnel in Russia'. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion The FSB, Russia's domestic intelligence service, said the two people expelled were the embassy's second secretary and the spouse of another diplomat. It said it had uncovered 'signs of espionage and sabotage work' by both of them. Russian intelligence services have claimed the UK sees the recent restoration of US-Russian relations as a threat to its interests, with the UK regarding control over Ukraine as central to its strategy of containing Moscow.
Russia Today
21-02-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Russian ambassador says Brits tried to make him defect
Russia's envoy to the UK has claimed that members of the British media told him he should defect to the UK. The mainstream media and the establishment in London are stubbornly pursuing confrontation with Moscow despite the change in narrative by its key ally, the US, he added. In an interview with Russia's Channel One on Friday, Ambassador Andrey Kelin said he maintains frequent contact with the British press, adding, 'they suggested to me recently that I quit my post and apply for asylum in the UK.' The British government has been consistent in its policy of applying diplomatic pressure and economic sanctions against Russia, while providing financial and military aid to Kiev amid the conflict with Moscow. During the G20 foreign ministers meeting in South Africa on Thursday, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy said Moscow has 'learned nothing' over the Ukraine conflict, accusing it of pursuing 'the logic of imperialism dressed up as a realpolitik.' Kelin described the comments as 'offensive' and 'rude.' In an article for The Telegraph on Monday, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said, 'Europe and the United States must continue to work closely together' in order to 'to deter [Russian President Vladimir] Putin from further aggression in the future.' The administration of US President Donald Trump, however, has effectively made a U-turn with regard to Washington's previous policies towards Kiev. Trump recently blamed Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky for the escalation of the conflict. The US envoys to the G7 and the UN have reportedly advocated for softer language in official statements, proposing references to the 'Ukraine conflict' rather than 'Russia's war of aggression.' Kelin went on to explain why he believes London is unwilling to soften its stance, claiming it is heavily invested in the conflict with Russia and in what he described as 'the Ukraine project,' with overall spending, including sustained losses, amounting to around $100 billion. 'That's why their overall strategy remains unchanged, regardless of the situation on the ground,' he said. 'A change in stance would equal an admittance that they have pursued wrong policies for years. How would they explain that to the British people? The people who now live in austerity.'
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
UK expels Russian diplomat after spying row
The UK has revoked the accreditation of a Russian diplomat in the latest escalation of a tit-for-tat diplomatic spat after Moscow expelled a British official last year. Andrey Kelin, who has served as Moscow's ambassador to the UK since 2019, was summoned to the Foreign Office to be informed of the move. The government said the action had been taken in "response to Russia's unprovoked and baseless decision to strip the accreditation of a British diplomat" in November. "The UK will not stand for intimidation of our staff in this way, and so we are taking reciprocal action," it said. The Foreign Office added that "any further action taken by Russia will be considered an escalation and responded to accordingly". The Kremlin has yet to comment publicly on the expulsion. Moscow revoked the accreditation of a British diplomat which it claimed was a spy in November - ordering the individual to leave the country within two weeks. Russian state-run news agencies reported that the country's security service FSB had accused the diplomat of providing false information on his documents and carrying out espionage activities. His photo was also shared on Russian TV bulletins. At the time, the Foreign Office dismissed Russia's accusations as unfounded and said it was considering a retaliatory response. Russia has previous said it planned to take further action should the UK respond to its own expulsion. Diplomatic relations between the UK and Russia have worsened since the latter's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. In September last year, Russia announced that the accreditation of six British diplomats in Moscow had been revoked, requiring them to leave the country. No 10 dismisses Russia spy claims as 'baseless' Russia accuses six British diplomats of spying
Washington Post
06-02-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Britain revokes accreditation of Russian diplomat in tit-for-tat expulsion
LONDON — Britain's government revoked the accreditation of a Russian diplomat on Thursday in a tit-for-tat move after Moscow expelled a British official last year on spying allegations. Officials summoned Russian Ambassador Andrey Kelin to the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office to inform him of the decision. 'This is in response to Russia's unprovoked and baseless decision to strip the accreditation of a British diplomat in Moscow in November,'' the Foreign Office said. 'The UK will not stand for intimidation of our staff in this way and so we are taking reciprocal action.''
