BRUSSELS (Dispatches) -- Scores of Russian diplomats have been expelled from European countries this week in a direct expression of governments’ outrage at the alleged killings of Ukrainian civilians revealed as Moscow’s military forces left.
In what amounts to one of the biggest diplomatic breakdowns of recent years, 149 Russian diplomats have been told since Monday they are no longer welcome to stay by governments in Italy, France, Germany and elsewhere, in addition to more than 100 reported to have already been thrown out since the beginning of Russia’s military operation in Ukraine on February 24.
It brings the total of expelled Russian diplomats and embassy workers to more than 250, with more expected to follow.
In Germany, where Annalena Baerbock, the foreign minister, said on Monday that 40 Russian embassy employees must leave, intelligence sources said the diplomats were seen as a direct threat to Ukrainians living in Germany.
On Tuesday afternoon Spain became the latest country to announce expulsions, saying 25 diplomats and embassy staff would have to leave.
Italy earlier said it was expelling 30 diplomats, for what its foreign minister, Luigi Di Maio, called “national security reasons”. He said his ministry had summoned Russia’s ambassador to Italy, Sergey Razov, to inform him of the Italian government’s decision, telling him the people on the list had been designated as unwelcome.
France on Monday expelled 35 diplomats, calling it part of a joint European action, and describing the activities of those persons pinpointed for removal as “against our security interests”.
Lithuania’s foreign minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis, the same day said that as an expression of Lithuania’s “full solidarity with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people” it would be expelling the Russian ambassador. Its own ambassador to Russia would also return to Vilnius in the near future, he said.
Sweden’s foreign ministry is to expel three Russian diplomats it said had carried out “illegal operations”, while Denmark said 15 Russian intelligence officers it accused directly of spying would be forced to leave within 14 days. The Danish foreign ministry said it would stop short of expelling the ambassador as it did not wish to completely cut diplomatic ties with Moscow.
Numerous Russian diplomats were expelled from the U.S., the Netherlands, Poland, Bulgaria, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Ireland and Belgium last week.
In turn Russia has so far said it will expel a handful of diplomats from Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, though many more are expected to follow.
On Tuesday, Russia’s deputy foreign minister, Alexander Grushko, said the expulsions were part of a “pre-coordinated campaign”, adding that they were counterproductive and would have a long-lasting effect.
“This is a blow to bilateral relations, to the channels of diplomatic discussions,” he said. Russia he added, would take “retaliatory measures”.
On Monday, Russia’s former president and the deputy head of its security council, Dmitry Medvedev, said the expulsions amounted to self-punishment by the countries who had called for them.
Medvedev said on his Telegram channel that Moscow’s response would be “symmetrical and destructive for bilateral relations. Who have they punished? First and foremost, themselves.”
He said although the move would save money, it would mean countries would end up facing each other “to attack, with weapons”.