8 Apr 2022, 17:31

Outside pressure forces Russian diplomats’ expulsion from Austria, says ambassador

No proof was provided for reasons to deport diplomats, Dmitry Lyubinsky underscored

MOSCOW, April 8. /TASS/. A decision to expel Russian diplomats from Austria is absolutely ungrounded and was obviously made under an outside pressure, Russian Ambassador in Vienna Dmitry Lyubinsky said on Friday.

Speaking in an interview with Russia’s Rossiya-24 television channel, the Russian diplomat said that no proof was provided for reasons to deport diplomats and their expulsion was absolutely ungrounded.

"Such decisions are absolutely ungrounded and we have no doubts that it was done under an outer pressure. I believe that all of this <...> did not happen without Washington’s influence," Lyubinsky noted.

The Austrian Foreign Ministry announced earlier in the day a decision to expel three employees of the Russian Embassy in Vienna and one employee of the Russian Consulate General in Salzburg.

"The Austrian Foreign Ministry announces the deprivation of diplomatic status of three employees of the Russian embassy in Vienna and one employee of the Russian Consulate General in Salzburg. These persons have committed actions incompatible with their diplomatic status and are therefore declared undesirable (personae non gratae) in accordance with Article 9 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations," Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg said in a statement obtained by TASS.

Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine

President Vladimir Putin announced on February 24 that in response to a request by the heads of the Donbass republics he had made a decision to carry out a special military operation in Ukraine in order to protect people "who have been suffering from abuse and genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years."

The Russian leader stressed that Moscow had no plans of occupying Ukrainian territories and the operation was aimed at demilitarizing and denazifying Ukraine.

When clarifying the developments unfolding, the Russian Defense Ministry reassured that Russian troops are not targeting Ukrainian cities, but are limited to surgically striking and incapacitating Ukrainian military infrastructure. There are no threats whatsoever to the civilian population.

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Middle East conflict

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Ukrainian soldiers stunned by Russia’s Operation Pipeline — Russian commander

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Yesterday, 10:14

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Yesterday, 18:50

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Yesterday, 13:12

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Yesterday, 12:20

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Yesterday, 14:59

Kick-sharing services resumes operations in Moscow

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Yesterday, 19:52

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Yesterday, 00:01

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Yesterday, 12:17

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Yesterday, 19:51

Erdogan accuses opposition of playing up Istanbul mayor’s detention for political gain

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Yesterday, 18:41

China tops box office sales for Russian movies in 2024

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Yesterday, 15:40

Ukraine’s military stored foreign munitions in civilian hospital in Kursk Region

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Yesterday, 20:34

US intends to hold Russia-Ukraine ‘proximity’ talks in Riyadh — envoy Kellogg

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Yesterday, 20:59

Kiev already broke US-proposed ceasefire — Foreign Ministry

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Yesterday, 15:25

Russia-China cooperation in military sphere is developing in all directions — Shoigu

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Yesterday, 20:57

US, Ukraine to sign minerals deal soon — Trump

US president also said he has just signed an executive order to "dramatically increase" production of rare earth minerals

Yesterday, 13:00

Orban says other EU states quietly support Hungary's stance against Ukrainian accession

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Yesterday, 05:49

Russian Volga cities of Saratov, Engels come under most massive drone attack — governor

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Yesterday, 20:38

UK discusses options for its military presence in Ukraine — prime minister

Keir Starmer argued that Russia could allegedly violate any future agreements, so Western countries should work on security guarantees for Ukraine

Yesterday, 18:35

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Yesterday, 20:08

Top Polish general says Europe weighing scenarios for ground operation in Ukraine

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Yesterday, 18:59

EU protracts conflict in Ukraine at any cost, ignoring calls for peace — European MP

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Yesterday, 20:08

Russia stresses risk of rogue Ukrainian military groups disrupting any agreement with Kiev

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Yesterday, 14:26

Russia to invite US to meeting of high representatives on security issues — Shoigu

Sergey Shoigu noted that representatives from over 100 countries had already confirmed their participation in the upcoming meeting

Yesterday, 18:02

Russian stock market closed in the red on Thursday - market data

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Yesterday, 00:44

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Yesterday, 09:02

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Yesterday, 07:36

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Yesterday, 16:57

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