Russia-Britain Relations Sour After Expulsion of Diplomats

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• JIM LEHRER:

  That spat between Russia and Britain. We begin with a report by Julian Manyon of Independent Television News.

• JULIAN MANYON, ITV News Correspondent:

  In mid-afternoon, the British ambassador, Anthony Brenton, boarded his Range Rover and drove the short distance to the Stalin-era tower that houses the Russian foreign ministry. When he emerged 15 minutes later, he said little. But soon, a Russian spokesman announced the tit-for-tat expulsion of four British diplomats and an end to cooperation with Britain in the war against terror.

• MIKHAIL KAMYNIN, Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Russia (through translator):

  Russia has not been seeking conflicts with Britain. The position taken by their new Labour government is based on anything but common sense.

• JULIAN MANYON:

  In London, the new foreign secretary, David Miliband, delivered a firm reply.

• DAVID MILIBAND, Foreign Secretary, United Kingdom:

  Good afternoon. The decision to expel four embassy staff is completely unjustified, and we will be doing everything to ensure that they and their families are properly looked after.

• JULIAN MANYON:

  Russia has once again made it clear that Andrei Lugovoi will not be extradited to Britain.

  Is the Russian government trying to escalate the situation?

• ANDREI ZOLOTOV, Journalist:

  No, I don't think so. If they expel more diplomats, then we will see it as escalating. I mean, and this is just simply kind of what they have to do by the rules of the game into which they've been drawn.

• JULIAN MANYON:

  The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, seems determined to keep the crisis at arm's length. Today, he attended a folk festival in the Russian countryside. Accusations against him continue to circulate in the West, but Putin clearly believes that he can ride out the storm.

• JIM LEHRER:

  Ray Suarez takes it from there.