UK Politics

Two British diplomats expelled in a spying row. A blistering statement from Russia's foreign intelligence service calling Britain "a warmonger." And a threat from a top ally of Vladimir Putin to seize U.K. assets inside Russia.

As the U.S. under Donald Trump seeks to reset ties with Moscow and broker peace between Russia and Ukraine, Britain has been granted the status of Russia's public enemy number one.

It's a mantle it has held on and off over the past two centuries.

"London today, like on the eve of both World Wars of the last century, is acting as the main global 'warmonger'," Russia's foreign intelligence service said in an unusually charged public statement on Monday. It accused London of trying to derail Trump's efforts to broker peace in Ukraine.

"The time has come to expose them and send a clear message to 'perfidious Albion' and its elites: you will not succeed," the agency, known as the SVR, said.

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Three Russian officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media, said Britain was now regarded as Moscow's main foe, with one fuming that London was "stoking chaos and war" in Ukraine.

Another described Britain as the driving force in the West when it came to galvanizing opposition to Russia.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer's talk this month of putting British boots on the ground and planes in the air in Ukraine as part of a potential peacekeeping force has angered senior Russian politicians.

So did his hosting of a meeting of the "coalition of the willing," as well as his in-person and phone lobbying of Trump to support Ukraine.