Russia has announced that 23 British diplomats that they believe to be intelligence officers, must leave the country in a like-for-like retaliation after the UK expelled 23 Russian diplomats earlier this week.
23 Russian diplomats were expelled earlier this week after Moscow failed to meet a deadline set by Theresa May to explain the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal. Russia has said it will also be closing the British Council in Russia. These developments see the poisoning row intesify, with some suggesting relations between the two states have not been worse since the Cold War.
For the time being, it doesn’t seem like Russia will take further steps to retaliate against the UK, with the Russian Presidential Election due to take lace on Sunday. However, the Russian foreign ministry has said it reserves the right to take any other measures against Britain, should there be further hostile steps taken by London.
Russia continues to deny any involvement in the attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter on 4 March.
Stay tuned to speakerpolitics.co.uk and @speakerpolitics as this story continues to develop…
