NEW YORK, March 7. /TASS/. The Russian diplomats to the UN who were declared persona non grata in the US left the country on Sunday, the Permanent Mission of Russia to the United Nations told TASS.

On February 28, 12 diplomats from the Russia's mission to the UN have been asked to leave the country by March 7.

The Russian foreign ministry said that Moscow considered the expulsion of 12 diplomats as a deliberate and cynical escalation in bilateral relations provoked by Washington. Apart from that, according to reports, the US side is expelling the last Russia officer officially seconded to the UN Department of Peace Operations and is not issuing an entry visa to other Russian defense ministry candidates. The Russian foreign ministry noted that Moscow doesn’t want to expel US diplomats but Washington’s actions leave next to no choice.