Russia expels four UK diplomats
Andrei Lugovoi has denied involvement in the murder
Russia is to expel four UK diplomats in the continuing row over Moscow＇s refusal to extradite the man suspected of Alexander Litvinenko＇s murder.
The four diplomats must leave Russia within 10 days, and Moscow is to review visa applications for UK officials.
UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband said he was "disappointed" by what he called a "completely unjustified" move.
On Monday four Russian embassy staff were expelled from the UK as part of the row over the murder in London.
The UK also suspended the visa facilitation process for Russian officials.
＇Continuing disappointment＇
Announcing the tit-for-tat response, foreign ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin said Moscow would not apply for any UK visas for Russian officials.
He said: "The position of the Brown government is not based on British common sense and reasoning."
At the Moscow news conference he added: "The measures declared by London recently makes co-operation between Russia and the UK impossible... in the war on terror."
KEY EVENTS IN CASE
1 November 2006: Alexander Litvinenko meets Andrei Lugovoi and another Russian at a London hotel
23 November 2006: Litvinenko dies in a London hospital
24 November 2006: A Litvinenko statement accuses Russian President Vladimir Putin of involvement in his death. Experts say Litvinenko was poisoned
6 December 2006: UK police say they are treating the death as murder
22 May 2007: Lugovoi should be charged with Litvinenko＇s murder, British prosecutors say
28 May 2007: UK makes formal request for Lugovoi＇s extradition from Russia
Full timeline of events
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The prime minister＇s official spokesman told reporters that Downing Street was examining the implications of non co-operation on terrorism.
Earlier Tony Brenton, Britain＇s ambassador in Moscow, was summoned to Russia＇s foreign ministry and given "certain messages" to pass on to the Foreign Office in London.
Later, speaking in London, Foreign Secretary David Miliband said: "We are now studying these measures very carefully to ensure that we understand the detail.
"We are disappointed that the Russian government should have signalled no new cooperation in the case of the extradition of Mr Andrei Lugovoi for the alleged murder of Alexander Litvinenko."
He added that the decision to expel four British diplomats was "completely unjustified" and help would be given to them and their families.
But he said he had been heartened by support from the "international community" and "positive statements about the need to defend the integrity of the British judicial system".
Earlier US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said: "This is an issue of rule of law to our minds, not an issue of politics."
"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."
Alexander Litvinenko, an ex-KGB agent who had taken UK citizenship, died of exposure to radioactive polonium-210 in London in November 2006.
Denies involvement
Traces of the radioactive isotope was found in several places visited by another former agent, Andrei Lugovoi.
Mr Lugovoi denies involvement and says he is a witness, not a suspect in the case and has told Russian television that the outcome of the inquiry had been predetermined.
Under the European Convention on Extradition 1957, Russia has the right to refuse the extradition of a citizen and its constitution expressly forbids it from doing so.
The UK has the right to request Mr Lugovoi be tried in Russia, but the UK＇s director of public prosecutions, Sir Ken Macdonald, has already turned down the offer.
The UK＇s director of public prosecutions has recommended Mr Lugovoi be tried for murder by "deliberate poisoning".
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