Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the public statement on Twitter from the Russian embassy in the UK issued on 29 July 2022 at 8pm, whether her Department has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of expelling all Russian diplomatic staff; whether she has had discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the compatibility of remarks in that statement with international law; and if she will make a statement.

The exploitation and use of prisoners of war for political purposes is an assault on the freedoms and values we believe in. We will ensure those responsible are held to account and will continue to consider options in concert with our allies. Having Russian representatives in the UK allows us to deliver clear and tough messages directly to Putin's government. Following the Salisbury attack in 2018, we expelled twenty three intelligence officers posing as Russian diplomats. Since then we have continued to maintain a zero-tolerance approach to illegal Russian activity.