Russia Matches U.K. Diplomat Expulsions

Russia said Thursday it was expelling four British diplomats in retaliation for a similar move by Britain, as a confrontation mounted between Moscow and London over the murder of former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko.

After Russia refused to extradite Andrei Lugovoi, who is accused of killing Litvinenko in London, Britain said Monday it would expel four Russian diplomats and place restrictions on visas issued to Russian government officials.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin announced the British expulsions after British Ambassador Anthony Brenton was summoned to the ministry earlier in the day.

Kamynin described Russia's response as "targeted, balanced and the minimum necessary."

Kamynin also said Russia would stop issuing visas to British officials and seeking British visas for Russian officials. He said Russia would halt counterterrorism cooperation with Britain.

"To our regret, cooperation between Russia and Britain on issues of fighting terrorism becomes impossible," he said.

Kamynin said the interests of tourists and businessmen would not be hurt. He said that on visa issues, Russia would mirror Britain's actions from now on.

Brenton said he met with Kamynin's deputy, Alexander Grushko. "We of course discussed the Litvinenko case. He gave me several notices for me to pass on to London. I won't comment on the contents," Brenton said, the Interfax news agency reported.

Emerging from the Foreign Office in London to make a brief statement on the matter Thursday, Foreign Minister David Miliband said, "we are disappointed that the Russian government should have signaled no new cooperation" in Lugovoi's extradition.

He called the Russian moves "completely unjustified".

Seeking to show what Britain feels is a strong hand of public opinion, Miliband said he was "much heartened" by statements of support from U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the European Union, and the international community at large.

"This is an issue of rule of law to our minds, not an issue of politics," Rice said during a news conference in the Portuguese capital Thursday, where she was to attend a conference on Middle East peace. "It is a matter of Russia cooperating fully in what is simply an effort to solve what was a very terrible crime committed on British soil."

Litvinenko, a fierce Kremlin critic, died Nov. 23 after ingesting radioactive polonium-210. From his deathbed, he said Russian President Vladimir Putin was behind his poisoning.

Britain sent investigators to Russia in the case, but they were not permitted to question suspects. After Britain named Russian businessman Lugovoi as its chief suspect and demanded his extradition, Russia refused, saying its constitution prevents such a move.

Lugovoi denies any involvement in Litvinenko's death, and insists he is just a witness in the case, not a suspect. British authorities said traces of polonium-210 were found in a hotel used by Lugovoi in London, and in two planes on which he flew.

Meanwhile, London police said Wednesday they had arrested a man on suspicion of conspiring to murder Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky — a Kremlin critic and friend of Litvinenko.

Russia has long-resented Britain granting asylum to Berezovsky and Chechen rebel envoy Akhmed Zakayev.

On both sides, "the degree of feeling offense is too strong to seek reconciliation," said Natalia Leshchenko, an analyst at the Global Insight think-tank. She suggested that London and Moscow will spend the near future venting their grievances as strongly as possible before either would make a move toward reconciliation.

For now, top officials from both sides indicate that the other would have to make the first move. Russian Ambassador Yuri Fedotov said resolution largely depends on "Britain's political will."