(VOVWORLD) - Spain will expel some 25 Russian diplomats and embassy staff from Madrid, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said Tuesday, following similar moves by Germany and France.
Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares (Photo: AP) |
The same day, Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod announced the expulsion of 15 Russian diplomatic staff members, accusing them of espionage. Denmark will not accept Russian espionage on Danish soil, he said.
Portugal will expel ten staff members of the Russian embassy in Lisbon, the Portuguese Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. The ten employees have been declared “persona non grata,” and they will have two weeks to leave Portugal.
Romania will expel ten Russian diplomats who are not acting in accordance with international rules, its Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.
Slovenia, Italy, and Sweden have also announced the expulsion of Russian diplomats.
Meanwhile, Latvia and Estonia have ordered the closure of Russia's consular missions and the deportation of Russian diplomats from their countries.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Tuesday that the mass expulsions of its diplomats from Western countries was "a short-sighted move" that will further complicate the communication necessary to find a solution, and will inevitably lead to retaliatory steps.