Three European countries have expelled Russian diplomats in response to the expulsion of European Union (EU) officials who were part of a delegation to Moscow led by Josep Borrell, the EU’s High Representative.
The Guardian reported Monday that German, Polish and Swedish officials had moved to expel a Russian diplomat from each of those nations in response to Moscow’s removal of three EU officials, saying it had taken part in anti-terrorist demonstrations. government in support of Alexei Navalny, imprisoned anti-Putin dissident.
Monday’s move was a “clear response to the unacceptable decision to expel a Swedish diplomat who was only doing his job,” said Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde, according to The Guardian.
The German Foreign Office told the newspaper that the German official expelled from Moscow last week “was fulfilling his task of reporting legal developments on the spot”, while the Polish Foreign Office added that he joins the effort “in accordance with the principle of reciprocity and in coordination with Germany and Sweden. “
Relations between the EU and Russia continued to deteriorate in the weeks following Navalny poisoning and subsequent recovery in a German hospital. The leader of the Russian opposition has been detained since returning to his homeland, while thousands of Russians took to the streets of Moscow to protest.
Moscow’s foreign agency responded to news reports at a news conference on Monday, calling the expulsions “unjustified and unfriendly,” adding that the expelled officials “were not the initiators of the collapse of relations,” according to The Guardian.
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“I made it very clear to President Putin, in a very different way from my predecessor, that the days of the United States rolling in the face of Russia’s aggressive actions – interference with our elections, cyber attacks, poisoning of its citizens – are over,” he said. Biden on Thursday at the State Department. “We will not hesitate to raise costs for Russia and defend our vital interests and our people.”