Liz Truss calls for a 'tough new wave of sanctions' against Russia
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Britain has found itself under pressure in recent days to go further in kicking out foreign agents as punishment for the atrocities committed by Moscow. More than 200 diplomatic staff have been expelled by European countries this week as a result of the barbaric murder of civilians in the town of Bucha, north of Kyiv.
Pictures of mass graves, torture and reports of rape being used as a weapon of war have all emerged since Russian troops retreated from the area over the weekend.
The actions taken in the town have been described as war crimes by the Ukrainian government.
Britain has faced questions over its failure to follow its allies on the continent and expelled more diplomats for the horrific actions of Russian troops.
It is widely accepted that most embassy staff the Kremlin sends abroad are spies acting under the guise of diplomats.
But Western officials say there are few foreign agents remaining in the UK because of the tough action Britain took against Moscow following the Salisbury poisonings.
One said: “A number of European partners have expelled Russian diplomats, principally intelligence officers.
“Because of all the action we took after Salisbury we actually don’t have very many of that category of Russian in the embassy in London at the moment.
“So while we keep it under review we have no plans at the moment.”
The UK expelled 23 Russian diplomats in response to the Novichok nerve agent attack in 2018.
Labour is demanding the Government go even further and throw out the Russian ambassador.
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Shadow foreign secretary David Lammy said there was no place for Andrei Kelin to remain in the UK while the war in Ukraine raged on.
“The sickening actions committed by Vladimir Putin and his cronies in Ukraine undoubtedly amount to war crimes,” Mr Lammy said.
“There should be no place for Russia’s ambassador to parrot the regime’s lies or intelligence agents to continue their hostile activity in the UK.
“Alongside expelling Russia from the United Nations Human Rights Council, we should set up a special tribunal to personally prosecute Putin and his gangster regime.”
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has so far twice hauled Kelin in for a dressing down to express Britain’s anger to Moscow.
The Government has not ruled out further expulsions in future but is understood to prefer more sanctions to keep the pressure up on Russia.
Ms Truss said yesterday that action taken by the UK, US, and EU was crippling Putin.
She said: “Our coordinated sanctions are pushing the Russian economy back into the Soviet era.
“But we can and must step up.”
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