All news

Putin discusses steps against states expelling Russian diplomats with Security Council

The meeting involved Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and other top Russian officials

NOVO-OGARYOVO, March 30. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin and permanent members of the national Security Council have discussed a number of foreign policy issues, including the expulsion of Russian diplomats from several countries and Moscow’s retaliatory measures, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

"There was a thorough exchange of views on foreign policy issues, particularly in light of the recent decision to take tit-for-tat measures against a number of countries that had expelled Russian diplomats and closed our consulates," he said.

"There also was a discussion regarding domestic social and economic issues," the Russian presidential spokesman added.

The meeting involved Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, Federation Council (upper house of parliament) Speaker Valentina Matviyenko, State Duma (lower house of parliament) Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, Kremlin Administration Head Anton Vaino, Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev, Federal Security Service (FSB) Director Alexander Bortnikov, Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) Director Sergei Naryshkin and Presidential Envoy for Environmental Protection, Ecology and Transport Sergei Ivanov.