As of February 24, 2022, Western countries, as well as some US allies in the Pacific region, declared 574 Russian diplomats persona non grata, according to TASS.
The reason for the expulsion was both Russian aggression in Ukraine and accusations of activities incompatible with diplomatic activities.
The current series of expulsions has become the largest that Russian diplomacy has ever faced, TASS journalists remind that in 2018 five times less Russian diplomats (123) were declared persona non grata after the poisoning in Britain of the former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.
Since the start of the “special military operation” last year, the largest number of Russian diplomats has been expelled in a single action by Bulgaria, and in late June Sofia announced that it had requested the dismissal of 70 members of the Russian diplomatic staff. busy
More than any other country, Bulgaria sent out Russian diplomats – 83. A significant number of diplomats were sent out from Poland (45), Germany (40), Slovakia and France (35 each), Slovenia (33), Italy (30), the USA (28 ).
Russia condemns “unfriendly actions” against its diplomats
A total of 29 European countries, as well as the United States and Japan, “took unfriendly measures against Russian diplomats,” according to TASS, Russia’s most prominent state news agency. It is also recalled that 19 employees of the permanent mission of Russia to the European Union were also expelled.
The Baltic countries also ordered to lower the level of diplomatic representation from ambassador to special envoy or chargé d’affaires.
Russian consulates are closed in Bulgaria (Ruse), Latvia (Liepaja and Daugavpils), Lithuania (Klaipeda), Estonia (Narva and the office in Tartu).
Commenting on the situation in October last year, the head of Russian diplomacy, Sergey Lavrov, said that Moscow “sees no sense” in maintaining a diplomatic presence in the West.
“It makes no sense, and we have no desire to maintain the same presence in Western countries. Our people work in conditions that can hardly be called humane. They face constant problems, threats of physical attack,” he said during a meeting with university graduates accepted to the diplomatic service.
“The main thing is that there is no more work there, as Europe has decided to close itself off from us and stop any economic cooperation. You can’t force to be good,” complained the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia.
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Source: Hot News
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