Australia, Ireland join countries expelling Russians

Australia and Ireland yesterday joined more than 20 other nations in expelling Russian diplomats in response to the nerve agent attack on a former Russian military intelligence officer and his daughter in Britain.

The mass expulsions were a show of solidarity for Britain, which blames Russia for the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia. Moscow vehemently denies responsibility, and has vowed a “tough response” to the expulsions.

More than 20 countries on Monday announced that they were expelling a total of more than 130 Russian diplomats, including 60 kicked out by the United States.

Yesterday, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said his country was expelling two Russian diplomats whom he described as undeclared intelligence officers. They have been given seven days to leave Australia. Turnbull slammed Russia for “reckless and deliberate” conduct that harms global security and violates rules against the use of chemical weapons.

The Russian Embassy in Canberra said the decision was regrettable and jeopardized bilateral relationships.

“It is astonishing how easily the allies of Great Britain follow it blindly contrary to the norms of civilized bilateral dialogue and international relations, and against […] common sense,” it said.

Ireland also announced it was ordering one Russian diplomat to leave. Foreign Minister Simon Coveney called the nerve-agent attack on Skripal and his daughter a “shocking and abhorrent” use of chemical weapons.

Official in Moscow yesterday condemned the expulsions but have not yet announced steps of retaliation yet.

Speaking at a conference in Uzbekistan, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told reporters that a reaction will follow because Russia “will not tolerate such rude behavior.” Lavrov also speculated that the United States might have coerced some of the European countries into expelling Russian diplomats.

Later yesterday, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said the military alliance will expel seven staffers from the Russian mission due to the nerve-agent poisoning of a former Russian spy in Britain.

He said NATO will also deny the pending accreditation request of three other workers at the Russian mission.

Russia is not a member of NATO. Stoltenberg says, despite the expulsions, Russia will still have a diplomatic mission of 20 people at alliance headquarters in Brussels and that will allow Russia to keep essential contacts with NATO members. MDT/AP

Countries expelling Russian diplomats

Two dozen countries including the United States and many European Union states, have announced they are expelling a total of more than 130 Russian diplomats, in a show of solidarity with Britain over the nerve agent attack on a former Russian spy in England. However, a small “coalition of the unwilling” inside the EU had indicated to the UK Foreign Office that they were not prepared to expel any Russian diplomats in solidarity with the UK. The eight countries were Portugal, Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Malta, Slovakia, Slovenia and Luxembourg. Belgium made no announcements but has indicated action will be taken after cabinet meetings.

— UNITED STATES: 60 Russian diplomats expelled; Russian consulate in Seattle ordered closed.

— BRITAIN: 23 Russian diplomats expelled.

— CANADA: Four Russians expelled; three applications for additional diplomatic staff being denied.

— UKRAINE: 13 Russian diplomats expelled.

— GERMANY, FRANCE, POLAND: Four Russian diplomats expelled from each country.

— CZECH REPUBLIC, LITHUANIA: Three Russian diplomats expelled from each country.

— SPAIN, NETHERLANDS, DENMARK, ITALY, ALBANIA, AUSTRALIA: Two Russian diplomats expelled from each country.

— HUNGARY, SWEDEN, CROATIA, ROMANIA, FINLAND, ESTONIA, IRELAND: One Russian diplomat expelled from each country.

— LATVIA: One Russian diplomat expelled, plus one Russian representative of a Russian company blacklisted.