Britain is risking the safety of the Russian delegation at the London Olympics by refusing to cooperate with Russia's security services in the run-up to the event, their director Alexander Bortnikov has said.
Britain cut links with Russia's Federal Security Service in protest at Russia's refusal to extradite the main suspect in the 2006 poisoning death of former Russian security officer Alexander Litvinenko in London.
With full security cooperation between the two countries yet to be restored, the British have left Russia out of security organization talks for the London Games, Bortnikov said.
"To our deep regret, I have to say that the English side has snubbed the FSB of Russia for events organizing the provision of security for the Russian Olympic team and the entire Russian delegation, under a spurious pretext," Bortnikov said, speaking after a meeting of the Commonwealth of Independent States' security agencies in the Moldovan capital late Thursday.
"Logically, these events were conducted in England, and without the participation of the Russian special services they won't be able to ensure the safety of the Russian delegation or other participants of the Olympic Games," he said.
In a tacit warning, the British security services had taken on a large burden of responsibility by leaving the Russians out in the cold, Bortnikov said.
"The English side has taken upon itself the great responsibility to provide security at the Olympics of the Russian delegation and also guests from Russia."
The British Foreign Secretary William Hague visited Moscow last week and discussed Olympic cooperation with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, though no mention was made about security for the Games.
Lavrov made vague promises that the two sides would cooperate on Olympic security at a news conference with Hague during a trip to Britain in February 2011.
