MOSCOW, April 5. /TASS/. Since February 24, the Western countries have declared a total of 329 Russian diplomats as persona non grata, about 2.5 times more than during the previous major expulsion of diplomatic staffers in 2018 over the Skripal case.
The largest groups of diplomats have been expelled from Poland (45), Germany (40), Slovakia (35), France (35), and Italy (30). Also, employees of Russia’s diplomatic missions were declared as persona non grata by Belgium (21), the Netherlands (17), Denmark (15), Estonia (14) Bulgaria (13), North Macedonia (5), Ireland (4), Lithuania (4), Latvia (16), Sweden (3), Estonia (17), Montenegro (1) and the Czech Republic (1). The United States has expelled the Russian embassy’s minister-counsellor, and also declared 12 employees of the Russian mission to the UN as persona non grata. Slovenia has decided to reduce the number of the Russian embassy’s staffers.
Riga and Vilnius have downgraded the level of Moscow's diplomatic representation. Lithuania has announced the closure of the Russian Consulate-General in Klaipeda, Latvia, of the consulates in Liepaja and Daugavpils, and Estonia, of the consulate in Narva and the office in Tartu.
Inevitable retaliation
Russia has promised "inevitable retaliatory measures." Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has attributed the unfriendly steps of Western countries to attempts to "politically punish" Russia.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko called the expulsion of Russian diplomats a deliberate and "pre-engineered" campaign. "The consequences will be felt for a very long time," he said. At the same time, Russia does not sever diplomatic relations with any country, although it sees no limits to the possible expansion of the Western countries’ unfriendly policies.
As many as 2.5 times more than after Salisbury
The first case in the history of international relations of diplomats expelled due to developments in a third country occurred in 2018. The reason for the decision was Russia’s alleged involvement in the March 4 poisoning of former GRU Colonel Sergei Skripal in Salisbury. Britain then announced the expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats, who, according to London, were "undeclared intelligence officers." Another 25 European countries, as well as the United States, Canada and Australia followed suit to announce the expulsion of Russian diplomats. Most states then declared as persona non grata from one to four employees of diplomatic missions. A total of 123 diplomats were expelled. In addition, on March 27, NATO announced the reduction of the Russian mission at the alliance’s office from 30 to 20.
Other major expulsions of diplomats
The last major expulsion of Russian diplomats took place on April 17, 2021. The Czech Republic argued that Moscow was behind the explosions at the ammunition depots in Vrbetice.
The largest expulsion of diplomats to Moscow took place in 1971. The British government accused 105 employees of the Soviet embassy of spying.