In an attempt to officially voice their frustration with the government of Ecuador for harboring Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, the UK plans on making a formal protest.

As reported by the BBC, officials have said that the cost for policing the embassy, which is now at $18.8 million, is an "unacceptable" one.

Assange, who sought asylum at London's Ecuadorean embassy in 2012 in order to avoid extradition to Sweden on sexual assault charges, stated his extreme disappointment in the legal morass surrounding him, saying, “There was no need for any of this.”

Swedish prosecutors have dropped two sex assault claims against Assange, but the 44-year-old still faces an accusation of rape.

"Ecuador must recognise that its decision to harbour Mr. Assange more than three years ago has prevented the proper course of justice. ... It is completely unacceptable that the British taxpayer has had to foot the bill for this abuse of diplomatic relations," said Hugo Swire, the foreign office minister.

Swire added the U.K. has “a legal obligation" to extradite Assange over the rape allegation, saying, "I have instructed our ambassador in Quito to reiterate to Ecuador that the continuing failure ... to bring this situation to an end, is being seen as a growing stain on the country's reputation."

Assange has taken Sweden to task over what he sees as their terrible handling of a trumped up case against him. 

“I am an innocent man,” Assange said. “I haven’t even been charged. From the beginning I offered simple solutions. Come to the [Ecuadorian] embassy to take my statement or promise not to send me to the United States. This Swedish official refused both.”

According to the Guardian, Baroness Helena Kennedy QC, one of Assange’s legal team, spoke of Sweden’s treatment of her client: “The question remains whether we are dealing with incompetence or bad faith or an agenda set by other considerations."