LONDON: Britain has joined several eastern European nations in withdrawing its ambassador from strife-torn Belarus in protest at President Alexander Lukashenko's expulsion of diplomats from Poland and Lithuania. In a tweet late Friday, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the UK "condemns Belarus' decision to expel Polish & Lithuanian diplomats".

"Completely unjustified and will only isolate the Belarusian people. In solidarity, we are temporarily recalling our Ambassador for consultations on the situation in Belarus," he said. The ambassadors of Lithuania and Poland were recalled on Monday.