Vladimir Putin’s government announced today 85 French, Italian and Spanish diplomats. personality no gratefulequivalent to being deported by the country from which they received it. The measure is in response to a similar action adopted by Western countries against the Russian authorities in the context of the occupation of Ukraine.
34 French officials with two weeks to leave Russia and 27 Spaniards given seven days must comply with the measure.
24 Italian diplomats were also affected by the measure. according to the media RussianThe Swedish Ambassador was also summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry.
This move by Putin is retaliatory to the countries. Russian officials described the expulsion of their diplomats from France and Spain as a “provocation”.
The State Department said it had warned Russian officials that the move would “serious damage to relations and constructive bilateral cooperation”.
Italy and France responded to the Russian government’s measure
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi discussed the expulsion of diplomats from Russia at a press conference with the Finnish Prime Minister today.
It’s a hostile move, but it shouldn’t interrupt diplomatic channels because if we achieve peace, it will be through those channels.
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi
Following the retaliation statement, Paris strongly condemned and denounced Russia, considering that the decision was not based on “any legitimate reason”.
“This decision was presented by the Russian side as a response to France’s decisions in April, when “several dozen Russian agents” suspected of being spies were expelled, the French foreign ministry said in a statement.
On the contrary, he adds, “The work of diplomats and staff of our embassy in Russia is fully covered by the Vienna Convention on diplomatic and consular relations.”
Russia’s February 24 attack on Ukraine sparked a wave of international condemnation and a sanction flurry that accompanied the expulsion of hundreds of Russian diplomats from Western countries.
Russian diplomats expelled in April
On April 5, Italy announced the expulsion of 30 diplomats from Russia on grounds of “national security in the context of unjustified aggression against Ukraine”.
A few weeks later, Moscow’s ambassador to Rome, Sergey Razov, said bilateral relations had “deteriorated severely”.
Italy is one of the toughest voices in the European Union against Vladimir Putin’s regime and has already approved two arms transfers to Ukraine since the start of the war, an action that has met resistance within the Draghi government.
France announced in April that 41 Russian diplomats, whom the government said were involved in espionage activities, were expelled and that the sanction was part of the “European approach”.
Germany, Slovenia, Austria, Poland, Greece and Croatia also expelled Russian diplomats en masse. In addition to France, other countries also accused diplomats of espionage.
Moscow promised to respond to each of these measures.
*With information from ANSA and AFP
source: Noticias
