Moscow will make an adequate and appropriate response to the UK's expulsion of four diplomats, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told reporters yesterday, Itar-Tass news agency reported.
Grushko added that the response would come shortly and take into account the interests of ordinary people and businessmen, but he gave no further details.
Britain announced on Monday that it would expel four Russian diplomats and halt cooperation in easing visa regulations because of Moscow's refusal to extradite the prime suspect in the radiation poisoning of former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko in London last November.
Russia's Foreign Ministry had described London's actions as "immoral" and "provocative" and said it would respond appropriately.
However, Interfax news agency quoted an "informed source" in Moscow as saying Russia would not act until Britain carried out its threatened expulsions.
"Until then, it will be all words," the source said.
Interfax also quoted a Russian embassy source in London as saying Britain had presented a list of the four diplomats it wanted expelled.
"These diplomats hold middle-ranking positions," the source said, adding that London was not insisting they leave in 24 or 48 hours.
Most Russia watchers believed Moscow would match London's actions with its own expulsions or another political step. But the big question was whether the Kremlin might also hit back at British business interests in Russia.
Russia's natural resources minister, Yuri Trutnev, had said there were no such plans.
"I don't think it makes sense to impose restrictions that would affect the investment climate, because that would be very expensive, including for Britain," Russian news agencies quoted him as saying.
"We will continue working as usual and don't see any reason to review our approach to foreign investments on the back of recent events," Trutnev said.
The dispute could also derail recent US efforts to revive friendly ties between Russia and the West, and holds implications for crucial issues like energy security and the nuclear standoff with Iran.
Litvinenko, a former Russian intelligence officer who held British citizenship and who had become a fierce critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, died an agonizing death in a London hospital after being poisoned by highly radioactive polonium.
British prosecutors have accused Russian businessman Andrei Lugovoy -- a former Russian security officer -- of carrying out the poisoning and have demanded his extradition to face trial in Britain.
Russia has refused, citing a constitutional ban on extraditing its own citizens.
The Russian media described Britain's response as a declaration of diplomatic war. Commentators accused Britain of double standards for punishing Russia while itself ignoring numerous Russian extradition requests.
Izvestia announced in a front-page headline that "the new British prime minister has declared a diplomatic and visa war on Russia."
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