At the same time as the Norwegian Prime Minister was welcomed by her Swedish colleague, Magdalena Andersson (S), in the government quarter in Stockholm on Tuesday, Sweden announced that they were expelling three Russian diplomats.
Foreign Minister Anne Linde (SocDem) justified the deportations on the grounds that Russia had committed war crimes in Ukraine.
The expulsions of Russian diplomats came almost like a wave during Tuesday. In the morning, Denmark had also announced 15 expulsions.
Also read: Kremlin calls expulsion of Russian diplomats “short-sighted”
Demanding assessment
– We have this under consideration and we will make a quick decision. I can not advance where I stand now, but we will make a decision, says Støre when he meets NTB in Gamla Stan after an audience with the Swedish king.
– We will think through the consequences of what we do. We are neighboring countries and we will use diplomacy, but as a neighbor it is also important that we speak out and mark. They have gone to invasion war by another neighboring country and the horrible images we get from the invasion make a deep impression. Then it is also good that you are not alone in the way we react, says Støre.
He discussed the issue when he had his first meeting with the Swedish prime minister for a working lunch earlier in the day. The visit to Sweden finally came about after Støre had tried three times before on the trip. However, the corona pandemic and bad weather have put sticks in the wheels for the two Social Democratic heads of state to meet.
– It is a natural topic in my meeting with the Swedish Prime Minister, Støre said ahead of the meeting on questions from NTB whether further reactions will be discussed.
Also read: 40 Russians in Norway with diplomatic status: – Between 10 and 20 can be spies
– Own assessments
Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt (Labor Party) attended a NATO meeting with her colleagues in Brussels on Tuesday.
She also says that Norway will make its own assessments of expelling diplomats from the Russian delegation in Norway.
– We have a great understanding that the diplomatic tool is used when we see the atrocities committed in Butsja. We discuss with related countries and make our own thorough safety assessments, and we will return when it is ready, says Huitfeldt.
Also read: Sweden expels three Russian diplomats
Short-sighted
During the day, Latvia and Estonia announced that they would expel 27 diplomats. In Spain the number is 25 and in Italy it is 30. In total, more than 100 Russian diplomats have been deported from a number of European countries in recent days. The EU also announces deportations, but has not quantified how many.
On Tuesday, the Kremlin described the many expulsions as “short-sighted.”
– Tightening the possibilities for diplomatic communication in such a unique crisis situation is a short-sighted move that will only make our communication more difficult. Such communication is necessary to find a solution, says Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
Also read: Denmark expels 15 Russian diplomats – Russia warns of backlash
Sweden: Not easy
When asked why Sweden only expels three diplomats, Linde answered that expelling diplomats is not easy, and that it always has consequences. She says that Sweden must weigh its own interests when it comes to the Swedish embassy and consulate general in Russia
– For several years, the security police, together with other authorities within the total defense, have handled a broad and elevated threat picture from other countries, above all from Russia.
– The threat picture is both military and civilian, she added.
(©NTB)
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