EU countries expel 28 Russian diplomats over Skripal case

Twelve European countries will expel Russian diplomats following the earlier moves from the USA and the UK in return to the poisoning of Sergei Skripal, a former Russian spy. Thus, 28 employees of Russian diplomatic missions will have to return to the Russian Federation from European capitals.

European countries - France, Latvia, Lithuania, Germany, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Denmark, Italy, Poland, Estonia, Finland and Romania - announced the expulsion of Russian diplomats because of the poisoning of Sergei Skripal in UK's Salisbury.

Poland, France and Germany will expel four diplomats each. The Czech Republic will expel three, the Netherlands, Italy and Denmark will expel two diplomats each.

Latvia announced the expulsion of one Russian diplomat. Lithuania announced the expulsion of three Russian diplomats and prohibited 44 other Russian citizens from entering the country. Estonia announced the expulsion of the attache of the Russian embassy on defence.

A little later, Finland announced the expulsion of one diplomat, Romania will also send one Russian diplomat home.

Thus, 12 countries have already announced the expulsion of Russian diplomats, 28 diplomats working in Europe will have to return to Russia.

Fourteen countries of the European Union will announce the expulsion of Russian diplomats, the head of the European Council, Donald Tusk, wrote on his Twitter account. "Today 14 EU Member States decided to expel Russian diplomats as direct follow-up to #EUCO discussion last week on #SalisburyAttack. Additional measures including further expulsions are not excluded in coming days, weeks," Tusk wrote.

Pravda.Ru