List of all the countries which expelled Russian Diplomats
Prime Minister Theresa May tells MPs in the House of Commons that the UK is to expel 23 Russian diplomats in retaliation for the nerve gas attack in Salisbury (Image: PA)
Russian Diplomats are being expelled by more than 20 countries — including 18 European Union states, the United States and Canada — in a coordinated effort that represents a significant diplomatic victory for the UK, which blames Russia in the March 4 poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, in Salisbury, England.
The UK has initiated the expulsion and kicked out 23 Russian diplomats. Kremlin retaliated to this action by sending the same number of UK diplomats back, and by shuttering British cultural institutions in the country.
Let’s check what each country is doing (Alphabetically):
Within European Union
Belgium: A Foreign Ministry spokesman announced the country would expel one diplomat to show solidarity with the UK.
Croatia: Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said Croatia would expel one diplomat.
Czech Republic: The Czech Republic will expel three diplomats, Prime Minister Andrej Babis and Foreign Minister Martin Stropnicky announced at a press conference. The Czech Foreign Ministry tweeted that it declared the diplomats “personae non-gratae.”
The @CzechMFA in accordance with Article 9 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, declared personae non gratae three members of the diplomatic staff of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Czech Republic.
— Martin Stropnický (@stropnickym) March 26, 2018
The @CzechMFA requests the Embassy of the Russian Federation to ensure that three diplomats and their family members leave the territory of the Czech Republic by April 1st 2018 at the latest.
— Martin Stropnický (@stropnickym) March 26, 2018
Denmark: The Foreign Ministry announced two diplomats would be expelled. “We stand shoulder to shoulder with Britain and clearly say no to Russia at a time when Russia is also in threatening and seeking to undermine Western values and the rule-based international order in other areas,” Foreign Minister Anders Samuelsen said.
Full Danish and European solidarity with UK in response to the #SalisburyAttack. The use of a Russian nerve agent in the UK is completely unacceptable. Denmark will expel two Russian diplomats in joint response. #dkpol
— Anders Samuelsen (@anderssamuelsen) March 26, 2018
Estonia: The Estonia Foreign Ministry announced one Russian diplomat, a defence attaché, would be expelled.
Finland: Finland will expel one diplomat, its Foreign Ministry said.
France: French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian announced the expulsion of four diplomats, who must leave the country within a week. He said that the decision followed the European Council’s conclusions that the attack “posed a serious threat to our collective security” and that France was acting “in solidarity with our British partners.”
Germany: The German Foreign Ministry said Monday it would expel four diplomats. “In close coordination within the European Union and with NATO allies, the Federal Government has decided to ask four Russian diplomats to leave Germany within seven days. The request was sent to the Russian Embassy today,” the ministry said in a statement.
Hungary: The Foreign Ministry said Hungary would expel one diplomat over “what has been discussed at the European Council meeting,” adding that the diplomat was “also conducting intelligence activities.”
Ireland: One Russian diplomat has been expelled, Ireland’s minister for foreign affairs and trade, Simon Coveney, said in a statement Tuesday.
Italy: The Italian Foreign Ministry said it will expel two diplomats from the Russian Embassy in Rome “as a sign of solidarity with the United Kingdom and in coordination with the European partners and NATO.”
Latvia: The Foreign Ministry announced it would expel one diplomat and one private citizen who runs the office of a Russian company in the capital, Riga.
Lithuania: Foreign Affairs Minister Linas Linkevicius said on Twitter the country would expel three diplomats “in solidarity with the UK over #SalisburyAttack.” Lithuania would also sanction an additional 21 individuals and ban 23 more from entering the country.
Our strength lies in unity – welcome @NATO’s Secretary General’s @jensstoltenberg's announcement on the decisions the Alliance underook in the wake of #Russia’s aggressive actions. #SalisburyAttack
— Linas Linkevicius (@LinkeviciusL) March 27, 2018
Luxembourg: The country’s Foreign Ministry said that it was recalling its ambassador to Moscow.
Netherlands: Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced the expulsion of two diplomats, saying the use of chemical weapons was unacceptable.
Poland: Poland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it would expel four diplomats and said the attack showed how “a similar immediate threat to the territory and citizens of EU and NATO member states can happen anywhere.”
Romania: Romania’s Foreign Ministry said on Twitter that one diplomat would be expelled.
In solidarity with the UK over #SalisburyAttack, Romania declared one Russian diplomat persona non grata @BorisJohnson @foreignoffice
— MFA Romania (@MAERomania) March 26, 2018
However, Russia too retaliated by granting one diplomat person non grata
The Russian Federation declared persona non grata a #Romanian diplomat accredited in #Russia, following measures adopted by our country in the spirit of solidarity with the #UnitedKingdom in the case of the #SalisburyAttack @foreignoffice pic.twitter.com/pmzfaCcggO
— MFA Romania (@MAERomania) March 30, 2018
Spain: The Foreign Ministry said Spain would expel two diplomats. “From the outset, we have considered the nerve agent attack in Salisbury to be an extremely serious development that represents a significant threat to our collective security and to international law,” the ministry said on Twitter.
??Russia: The Government of Spain has decided to expel two Russian diplomats. From the outset, we have considered the nerve agent attack in Salisbury to be an extremely serious development that represents a significant threat to our collective security and to international law.
— SpainMFA ?? (@SpainMFA) March 26, 2018
Sweden: The Foreign Ministry announced it would expel one diplomat.
Non-EU countries
Albania: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced it would expel two Russian diplomats. In a statement, the ministry called each diplomat a “persona non grata” and said the pair’s activities were “not compliant with their diplomatic status.”
Australia: The government released a statement saying that it would expel two Russian diplomats “for actions inconsistent with their status, pursuant to the Vienna Conventions.” The two diplomats must leave Australia within seven days, according to the statement.
Canada: Ottawa said it was expelling four Russian diplomats alleged to be intelligence officers “or individuals who have used their diplomatic status to undermine Canada’s security or interfere in our democracy.” Additionally, it was refusing three applications by Moscow for additional diplomatic staff. “The nerve agent attack represents a clear threat to the rules-based international order and to the rules that were established by the international community to ensure chemical weapons would never again destroy human lives,” Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said.
Macedonia: The Macedonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it would be expelling one Russian diplomat in response to the Skripal case.
Moldova: The Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday that it would expel three Russian diplomats and that they must leave the country within seven days.
Montenegro: The Balkan state will expel one Russian diplomat, the government said in a tweet Wednesday.
#Montenegro takes this decision in coordination w/ our allies, in line w/ #EU and #NATO members' measures regarding the #Russia's actions and #SalisburyAttack which have been immediately strongly condemned by the @MeGovernment, in solidarity w/ our #UK partners. (2/2) #WeAreNATO
— Govt. of Montenegro (@MeGovernment) March 28, 2018
Norway: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced it would expel one Russian diplomat in response to the attack. “The use of a nerve agent in Salisbury is a very serious matter,” Norwegian Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Soreide said in a statement. “Such an incident must have consequences.”
Ukraine: President Petro Poroshenko said Ukraine, which has experienced years of hostility from Russia, including the annexation of Crimea, would expel 13 diplomats. “Russia has again reconfirmed its disdainful attitude to the sovereignty of independent states and the value of human life,” Poroshenko said.
— Петро Порошенко (@poroshenko) March 26, 2018
United States: The White House said it was expelling 60 Russian diplomats identified as intelligence agents and also announced the closure of the Russian Consulate in Seattle. It represents the most forceful action that President Donald Trump has taken against Russia to date. Of those being expelled, 48 of the alleged intelligence agents work at the Russian Embassy in Washington and 12 are posted at the United Nations in New York, senior administration officials said.
