Three European countries expelled Russian diplomats in response to the expulsion of European Union (EU) officials who were part of a delegation to Moscow led by Josep Borrell, the EU’s High Representative.
The Guardian said on Monday that German, Polish and Swedish officials had acted to expel a Russian diplomat from each of their respective countries in response to the removal of Moscow from three EU officials who said they had participated in anti-government demonstrations in support of Alexei Navalny , the arrested anti-Putin dissident.
Monday’s action was a “clear response to the unacceptable decision to expel a Swedish diplomat who was just performing his duties,” said Ann Linde, Sweden’s foreign minister, according to The Guardian.
Germany’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs told the newspaper that the German officer expelled by Moscow last week was “doing its job of reporting on events there legally”, while Poland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs added that it was joining to the effort “according to the principle of reciprocity and in coordination with Germany and Sweden.”
Relations between the EU and Russia continued to sour in the weeks after Navalny’s poisoning and subsequent recovery in a German hospital. The Russian opposition leader has been detained since returning to his country, while thousands of Russians took to the streets of Moscow to protest.
Moscow’s foreign agency responded to the news on Monday at a news conference, calling the evictions “unjustified and hostile”, adding that the expelled employees “were not the initiators of the breakdown in relations,” according to The Guardian.
The Biden government also strongly condemned Navalny’s arrest, which was one of several topics President biden
Joe BidenDemocrats say Trump’s impeachment defense ‘totally without merit’ A US-Israel defense treaty has benefits – and endangers the White House: Biden won’t waste much time watching Trump’s impeachment trial MORE raised with his first liaison with the Russian president Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich PutinIs Palestine important again? Russian court orders mining giant to pay nearly billions for spill in Arctic Navalny proves too hot for ‘poisoner Putin’ MORE.
“I made it clear to President Putin, in a very different way from my predecessor, that the days when the United States rolled in the face of Russia’s aggressive actions – interfering in our elections, cyber attacks, poisoning its citizens – are over.” Biden said Thursday at the State Department. “We will not hesitate to increase the cost to Russia and defend our vital interest and our people.”