Expulsion of Russian diplomats: Moscow warns of 'symmetrical' response to Western countries
RUSSIA: Russia will respond proportionately to the expulsion of its diplomats from a number of Western countries, Russian ex-President and deputy head of security council Dmitry Medvedev said late yesterday.
“Everyone knows the answer: it will be symmetrical and destructive for bilateral relations,” Medvedev said in a posting on his Telegram channel.
“Who have they punished? First of all, themselves.” On Monday, France said it would expel 35 Russian diplomats over Moscow’s actions in Ukraine and Germany declared “significant number” of Russian diplomats as undesirable. “If this continues, it will be fitting, as I wrote back on 26th February ― to slam shut the door on Western embassies,” Medvedev said. “It will be cheaper for everyone. And then we will end up just looking at each other in no other way than through gunsights.”
Medvedev’s remarks follow France Foreign Ministry’s decision to expel “numerous” Russian envoys on Monday, saying that their “activities were contrary to security interests.” Paris’ announcement came hours after Germany said it was set to suspend the diplomatic presence of at least 40 Russian officials. Berlin said that the envoys “whom we attribute to the Russian intelligence services” were asked to discontinue. “We won’t allow this criminal war of aggression to also be conducted as an information war in Germany,” said German interior minister Nancy Faeser. Subsequently, Lithuania on Monday informed that it has expelled the Russian ambassador to Vilnius and will recall the envoy to Moscow.
Last Tuesday, Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic ousted a total of 43 embassy staffers. Poland and Belgium last week took similar actions, with Belgian Foreign Minister Sophie Wilmes stating that the step was in view of “our national security.” Poland alone expelled 45 accredited Russian staffers allegedly for “suspected espionage in the country.” At least 21 staffers of the Russian embassy in Brussels and consulate in Antwerp were asked to leave the country within two weeks.
– THE MALAY MAIL