Russia has expelled dozens of diplomats from France, Italy and Spain in retaliation for the expulsion of its diplomats by European countries protesting its invasion of Ukraine, IgbereTV reports
A statement by Russian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday said Moscow was expelling a total office 85 embassy staff in response to similar moves from the three European nations.
The ministry said 34 employees of French diplomatic missions had been given two weeks to leave the country.
The announcement came after Moscow summoned France’s Ambassador to Russia Pierre Levy, and told him that the expulsion of 41 employees of Russian diplomatic missions was a “provocative and unfounded decision.”
27 employees of the Spanish Embassy in Moscow and the Spanish Consulate General in Saint Petersburg were also declared persona non grata and asked to leave Russia in seven days.
