Russian diplomats, Go Home

The new round of the conflict of Russia and the West: due to the “Skripal case”, more than a hundred diplomats from the USA, Great Britain, the EU and Ukraine will be sent. The experts reminded of the demarches of the Cold War

Photo: Gosindex.ru

US signaling system

US President Donald Trump personally authorized the expulsion from the United States 60 employees of the Russian diplomatic mission as a response to the Skripal case. This was told to journalists by a senior employee of the administration of the American president. Great Britain has already sent 23 people.

The American media note that among those who will be forced to leave the US territory, in addition to 48 “famous intelligence officers”, there are 12 alleged employees of Russian special services working at the UN headquarters in New York. In addition, the Russian Consulate General in Seattle (Washington) will be closed. As indicated in the statement of the White House, this was done because the base boats are located nearby.

“The United States takes this step together with our NATO allies and partners around the world to answer the use by Russia of a fighting poisonous substance in the United Kingdom, the last act from the ongoing chain of subversive actions around the world. This step will make the United States safer, reducing Russia's ability to spy on the Americans and conduct secret operations that threaten the national security of the United States, ” the White House statement said.

Donald Trump himself, willingly commenting on foreign policy problems on his Twitter, has not made any comments on this topic.

“This step will make the United States safer, reducing the ability of Russia to spy on the Americans and conduct secret operations that threaten the national security of the United States,” the White House statement said

According to representatives of the White House, more than 40 Russians will remain in the United States, which belong to special services.

Euro -Atlantic solidarity

The authorities of Poland, Italy, Denmark, France and Germany also declared their decision to send Russian diplomats, although on a much smaller scale. In total, 14 EU member states, as well as Canada and Ukraine, solidly decided to perform (the latter will send the most diplomats-13 Russians). Germany and France send four each. Four diplomats intend to send the authorities of Canada .

“This decision was not easy,” said German Foreign Minister Hayko Maas on Twitter.

The Foreign Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson praised this gesture of solidarity. “Today's emergency international response from our allies is the most massive expulsion of Russian intelligence officers, and this will help protect our joint security. Russia cannot violate international norms with impunity, ”said Johnson .

The video presentation of the British Foreign Ministry, entitled “The Kremlin wants to dismantle the system based on international law,” lists the charges against the Kremlin. Including-the poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko in 2006, violation of the territorial integrity of Georgia in 2008, the annexation of Crimea in 2014, interference in the elections in Montenegro in 2016 and violation of the air space of sovereign countries by Russian military aircraft.

The British Foreign Ministry listed: Alexander Litvinenko’s poisoning in 2006, violation of the territorial integrity of Georgia in 2008, the annexation of Crimea in 2014, interference in the elections in Montenegro in 2016 and violation of the airspace of sovereign countries by Russian military aircraft

“The European Council agreed with the opinion of the Government of the United Kingdom that with a high degree of probability the Russian Federation is responsible and that there is no other convincing explanation. We decided to withdraw to consult an EU ambassador to Russia, ”the European Council of Donald Tusk said in a statement of the head of the European Council. According to him, it is possible that some “additional measures” will follow in the coming days and weeks.

The first reaction from Moscow

In the Kremlin, the strict actions of “partners” are still commented on with restraint, although they hint that the answer will have a mirror character. “The main analysis will be carried out in our diplomatic department. After that, the president will be reported, offers about the response steps. The final decision will be made by the head of the Russian state, ”Dmitry Peskov, press secretary of Vladimir Putin, told reporters. Peskov emphasized that Russia did not have and has nothing to do with the Skripal case.

VTsIOM released the results of a survey, according to which only 3% of Russians believe that Russian special services are involved in poisoning. The majority believe that this is the work of Putin's opponents

In a statement by the Russian Foreign Ministry, it is noted that “the provocative gesture of the notorious solidarity with London of these countries, which have gone about the British authorities in the so -called The “Skripal case” and who did not bother to understand the circumstances of the incident is a continuation of the confrontation line to escalate the situation. ”

The Russian embassy in the United States launched a vote on Twitter, inviting users to decide which US consulates would like to close-in Vladivostok, Yekaterinburg or St. Petersburg.

And VTsIOM released the results of a survey, by which only 3% of Russians believe that Russian special services are involved in poisoning. The majority believes that this is the work of Putin's opponents.

Like during the Cold War

During the Cold War, the parties have already practiced such mass actions. For example, in September 1971, 105 diplomatic employees were expelled from the UK - after the KGB officer Oleg Lyalin, who worked in London, passed the local special services of Soviet agents. In response, 18 subjects of Great Britain were sent from Moscow.
In March 1983, the French authorities sent 47 Soviet diplomats due to activities incompatible with diplomatic status.

“In the era of the Cold War, a quota principle acted - the number of employees with diplomatic status in the capitals was the same. In such conditions, it was not easy to decide on such mass expulsions. Now each country can have as many diplomats as it will consider it necessary, ”said George Kaunadze, the ex-foreign minister of foreign affairs of the Russian Federation. “We have more institutions in the United States than Americans here. Therefore, an absolutely mirror answer will be more distinguished by Americans than Russia, ”the former diplomat believes.

“We can say that the traditional goal of Russian foreign policy, which consisted in somehow sowing the discord between NATO and EU member countries, was not achieved”

According to the ex-minister, mass expulsions are unlikely to be critical of the work of Russian diplomatic departments: “As far as I understand, those countries that take part in this collective action emphasize that they send not diplomats, but employees of other Russian organizations with diplomatic status. It is clear what it is about. ”

But the main problem is not in the number of diplomats sent. “We are observing the total solidarity of the EU and NATO countries,” Kaunadze notes. “In this sense, we can say that the traditional goal of Russian foreign policy, which consisted in somehow sowing the discord between NATO and EU member countries, was not achieved.”

The Czech Republic participates in the promotion of diplomats, where there are political forces sympathizing with Russia, and Italy, which tried to stay away. “These countries went to symbolic expulsions, but nevertheless did it. It is interesting that Japan and South Korea, many years of US allies, have not joined this action. They distinguished themselves with their absence (in this story), ”summarizes Kunadze.