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Russia hits back against EU countries in spy row

April 02, 2018 14:14·
Coalition of condemnation against Putin grows: Nato and Ireland join moves to kick out Russian spies as May hails 'unprecedented' show of unity

Coalition of condemnation against Putin grows: Nato and Ireland join moves to kick out Russian spies as May hails 'unprecedented' show of unity

Russia announced on Friday reciprocal expulsion of diplomatic representatives of countries, including Spain, who declared persona non grata to representatives of Moscow after having sympathized with British version on poisoning of Sergey Skripal, former official of Russian military Intelligence service GRU, and his daughter Yulia last March 4 in Salisbury.

The countries informed Friday by Russian Federation of diplomat expulsions were Australia, Albania, Germany, Denmark, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Canada, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Ukraine, Finland, France, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Sweden and Estonia.

"Our temporary authorized secretary was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry on Friday, where he was informed that one Latvian diplomat will have to leave Russia before the evening of April 6", he said.

Moscow said on Thursday it was expelling 60 U.S. diplomats and would eject scores from other countries that had joined London and Washington in censuring Moscow over the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

Tensions in UK-Russian relations escalated after British Prime Minister Theresa May alleged that it was "highly likely" Russia was behind the attempted assassination.

On the streets in Saint Petersburg, passersby said they welcomed the decision to shut down the United States consulate general in the city.

Ireland responded, saying: "There is no justification for the expulsion of an Irish diplomat from Russian Federation".

Meanwhile, NATO allies - USA and Canada - have also chose to take action.

The Russian Embassy in London called her recovery "good news" in a tweet Friday and said Russian diplomats had a right to see her under the 1968 Consular Convention.

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At a meeting with Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, Mr Huntsman was also told that the USA consulate in St Petersburg would be closed, mirroring the the United States closure of Russia's consulate in the U.S. city of Seattle.

More than 20 nations, including long-term allies like the United States, have backed Britain by together expelling more than 100 Russian diplomats.

The ministry warned that if the USA takes further "hostile actions" against Russian missions, Russia will respond in kind. The government's consideration will include "the rights and wishes of Yulia Skripal", it said. The ministry has said it is "very concerned" about her health.

British diplomats left Moscow a week ago, but ambassador Laurie Bristow was summoned back to the foreign ministry for additional punishment.

Russia's state-run Tass news agency reported that Russia had also demanded that Britain reduce the number of staff in its Moscow embassy to match the number of Russian diplomats remaining in London.

Christine Blanshard, Medical Director for Salisbury District Hospital, where the two victims are being treated, said in a statement that Yulia Skripal's condition had improved after three week in a critical condition. Her father remains in a critical but stable condition. "The nerve agent attack represents a clear threat to the rules-based worldwide order and to the rules that were established by the global community to ensure chemical weapons would never again destroy human lives".

Thirteen Ukrainian diplomats should also leave Russian Federation.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said the US special services have engaged in "frantic efforts" to make cooperation offers to the expelled Russian diplomats.

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