Russia expels US diplomats in retaliation
March 24, 2022, 3:21 am

Russia expels US diplomats in retaliation

National flag of Russia (File photo: Pixabay)

The Xinhua reported, Russia said Wednesday that it is expelling U.S. diplomats in response to Washington's recent expulsion of Russian diplomats from the United Nations (UN).

The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it summoned a senior diplomat of the U.S. embassy in Moscow on Wednesday and declared a list of American diplomats "persona non grata."

It said that the U.S. side was told that any hostile actions against Russia will receive a decisive and adequate response.

The ministry did not disclose how many U.S. diplomats are targeted and the deadline of their departure.

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The Xinhua noted that the United States on Feb. 28 announced the expulsion of 12 staff members of the Russian Permanent Mission to the UN in New York and a Russian national working with the UN Secretariat.

Source: xinhua

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.