At the heart of the diplomatic row lies over the poisoning of death of the former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko who in London last November became the first person to be murdered through polonium-210. Polonium-210 is a heavily restricted radioactive material and only 85g is known to be produced annually. It is designed to be the most effective murder weapon because it causes similar symptoms to low-level thallium poisoning, so the cause of death is easy to misdiagnose.

It is alleged that a Russian Andrei Lugvoi had caused the death of Litvinenko during one of his to visits to Litvinenko and Britain wants Lugovoi's extradition from Russia, although under Russian constitution, no citizen of Russia can be extradited. Russia obviously refused to hand over Lugvoi to the British authorities.

The reaction of Britain to refusal of Lugvoi, many commentators suggest, has been extreme in diplomatic terms. It does not shown maturity of traditional British diplomacy. It has been a knee-jerk reaction from Britain.

With the change of government in Britain at the end of June, Brown appointed a young man as Foreign Secretary (Foreign Minister), David Miliband (41). Like any other new government, Gordon Brown wants to show his cabinet ministers are different from those of Tony Blair. They are energetic, bold and person of ideas and action. Britain under the new leadership wants to mark a constructive role in international affairs.

Observers suggest the prime minister put the wrong person in the wrong place. Miliband, although bright and energetic, is known to have no experience in foreign affairs. (His father was a Polish Marxist and mother belonged to Jewish faith). Miliband was earlier Environment Secretary under Tony Blair. They think that Brown might have appointed Miliband because he was opposed to Blair's Iraq botched policy.

Diplomacy is a cool calculated waiting game and has to be purposeful for national interests. It cannot be rushed or pushed by threatening action or language. Miliband has recently made statements on Iran and Russia that visibly demonstrates his immaturity and brash style of diplomacy, according to observers. He could have easily made his outbursts in a diplomatic language. One can easily create diplomatic row but it takes time to heal the rift.

It seems that Gordon Brown made an error of judgment in selecting Miliband as foreign secretary. Many insiders say that if a young person had to be chosen, it was not Miliband but Douglas Alexander, current international development secretary who has been recently chosen for Brown's election campaign strategy. He is known to have the personality who can meet the challenge of modern day complexity of diplomacy with tact, calmness and persuasion.

What is the story of Litvinenko?
The story of Litvinenko is like peeling an onion, layer after layer unfolds about him. His story demonstrates the dynamics that have in someway shown KGB agent's operations. KGB (now called FSB) is known to be the second best intelligence organisation after Israel's Mossad (Hebrew for Institute).

Litvinenko was a KGB agent and in his book, Blowing Up Russia: The Secret Plot to Bring Back KGB Terror, remembers the KGB not as a terror organisation but as a security force whose agents were "real heroes."

In August 1997, Litvinenko was transferred from an-terrorist unit to a secretive wing of FSB where he was asked reportedly to carry out extra-judicial killings, eventually his friend Berezovsky was the intended target. After complaining to his superiors and holding a press conference to expose this plot Litvinenko was jailed by the FSB on trumped-up charges (as he claims) and eventually fled to Britain.

There are competing theories about Litvinenko's death. The British story is one of them. There is speculation that he has been blackmailing Moscow's business elite or that he was killed by Berezvosky to drum up support for his dissident group in London against Putin's regime in Russia. Many commentators refuse to accept that Moscow would order his death merely because he betrayed his superiors. Kremlin is too clever for that.

Russia under Putin cannot be pushed. Russia has emerged as a power in Europe that can create chaos in stopping supply of gas to European countries. Russia is a member of UN Security Council, a member of G-8 and a partner of Nato. It wants respect and due recognition from the West. Russia is neither a friend nor a foe for the West. It wants a global role commensurate with its power and importance.

Russia' president called British conduct as "colonial" mind-set. Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov squarely blamed Brown for this diplomatic row. British businesses are worried about their prospects in Russia.

President Bush realises the importance of cooperation with Russia and invited President Putin to his private resort Kennebunkport at Maine, a rare gesture from the president to soften Russia's attitude towards Kosovo's independence, Iran's nuclear proliferation and stationing of missile defence stations in Poland and the Czech Republic.

Britain and Russia had been friendly during the days of Tony Blair. Observers say the new Prime Minister Brown, ill-advised by his Foreign Secretary David Miliband, within thirty days of his government, has picked an avoidable row with Russia.

Did Britain gain anything? Many commentators say in the negative, rather Britain has displayed its diplomatic immaturity and lost the clout as it will not likely to have any influence for sometime on Russia on any subject of global importance. Diplomatically Britain is diminished.

Barrister Harun ur Rashid is a former Bangladesh Ambassador to the UN, Geneva.