The United Kingdom’s Foreign Office announced on Wednesday the appointment of Nigel Casey as the new ambassador to Russia, amid tensions between Moscow and London that have escalated since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Thus, Casey takes over the bag, succeeding Deborah Brunert, who assumed the position in 2020, and he will assume his duties in November.
Casey, 54, is a seasoned diplomat who joined the State Department in 1991 and most recently served as the Prime Minister’s Special Representative to Afghanistan.
In addition, Casey previously held the position of High Commissioner for Britain in South Africa and his country’s ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Between 2003 and 2006, he held a diplomatic post in Moscow.
Last month, Moscow announced imposing restrictions on the movement of British diplomats working in Russia, in a new indication of the continuing standoff between the two countries.
Diplomats, with very few exceptions, will have to notify the authorities in advance of their movements in the country and specify in detail the course they intend to take.
Moscow said the measures were taken in response to London’s hostile actions such as obstruction of the normal functioning of Russian foreign missions in the United Kingdom.
Britain has been a key ally of Ukraine since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the invasion of the pro-Western country in February last year.
London supplied Kiev with long-range weapons and tanks, and imposed sanctions on Russian entities and individuals.
