17 minutes agoRussia expels four Austrian diplomats
Periskopi(3 years ago)
(3 years ago)Moscow said it would expel four Austrian diplomats after Vienna expelled four employees of Russia's foreign mission to Austria, as tensions have increased due to the conflict in Ukraine. The Russian Foreign Ministry said the expulsion of diplomats has been a “non-friendly and unjustified step” that “causes serious damage to reports [...]
The Russian Foreign Ministry said the expulsion of diplomats has been a “non-friendly and unjustified step” that “causes serious damage to bilateral reports, which have already been in crisis due to actions by the Austrian side”.
Austria and other European Union states have expelled dozens of Russian diplomats since Moscow began its invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Russia has retaliated in the same way.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said it has summoned Austrian Ambassador to Moscow to the conversation and informed him that four employees of the Austrian Embassy in Russia have been declared the unwanted “@x1>.
They have been given until February 23rd to leave Russia.
“Ambassador was also presented with difficulties for visa equipment by Russian delegations travelling to Vienna”, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
Earlier in February, Vienna announced the expulsion of four Russian diplomats, including two diplomats accredited to the United Nations, saying they acted “improperly with their diplomatic status”.
The expulsions of diplomats in neutral Austria are rare, as this state has had close reports with Russia before Moscow began its fight against Ukraine. / REL/
