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Russia expelled three European diplomats, accusing them of participating in protests for Navalny
The Russian Foreign Ministry announced the expulsion of three European diplomats who, according to the agency, participated in actions in support of Alexei Navalny on January 23.
Employees of the Consulates General of Sweden and Poland in St. Petersburg, as well as an employee of the German Embassy in Moscow, have been declared persona non grata. They are ordered to leave the Russian Federation "in the near future."
The ambassadors of the three countries were summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry. They were told that such actions of employees "are unacceptable and do not correspond to their diplomatic status."
Updated . Sweden and Germany called the expulsion decision unjustified and threatened retaliation. Poland said that what happened would worsen bilateral relations. The United States also condemned the expulsion of European diplomats .
The Russian side expects that in the future the diplomatic missions of the Kingdom of Sweden, the Republic of Poland and the Federal Republic of Germany and their personnel will strictly follow the norms of international law.
- On February 2, some Western diplomats came to the Moscow City Court, where Navalny was being sentenced. The Russian Foreign Ministry called it interference in the affairs of Russia. The British Embassy in Russia described this as "common practice".
- The decision to expel the diplomats was made against the backdrop of a visit to Moscow by EU High Representative Josep Borrell, which takes place from 4 to 6 February. An official on behalf of the European Union criticized Navalny's verdict.