The list includes two countries – the United States and the Czech Republic. The document indicated the number of employees that the diplomatic missions of these states will be able to employ from among the citizens of the Russian Federation. The Czech Republic will be able to employ no more than 19 Russian workers, the United States – none.
Press Secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov said in a comment TASSthat the limited list of unfriendly countries demonstrates Moscow’s readiness for dialogue.
Context:
Russia on April 30 banned eight citizens of the European Union countries from entering the country in response to the 2nd and March 22 EU sanctions against six Russian citizens.
The sanctions list includes the head of the European Parliament David-Maria Sassoli, the head of the prosecutor’s office of Berlin (Germany) Jörg Raupach, the head of the Latvian National Council for Electronic Media Ivars Abolins, the director of the Latvian State Language Center Maris Baltins, a member of the French delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Jacques Maire, the head of the laboratory Chemical, Biological, Radiation and Nuclear Safety of the Research Institute for Total Defense of Sweden Osa Scott, Head of the Estonian Language Department Ilmar Tomusk and Deputy Head of the European Commission for Values and Transparency Vera Jourova.
The head of EU diplomacy is Josep Borrell condemned such a decision of the Russian authorities… In his opinion, it emphasizes that Russia has chosen the path of confrontation instead of establishing relations with the EU.
The EU countries initially imposed sanctions against Russia for the poisoning of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, as well as for violating human rights in the persecution of LGBT people and political opponents.
Speaker of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Maria Zakharova said on April 25 that Russia began to form a list of unfriendly countrieswho are prohibited from hiring Russian citizens to work in diplomatic missions. The United States is already on the list, she said.
USA April 15 decided to expel 10 employees from the country Russian Embassy in Washington. According to the White House, there are representatives of the Russian special services among them.
Poland supported the US decision on the same day recognized persona non grata three Russian diplomats.
17 april the Czech authorities announced the expulsion 18 Russian diplomats. It was decided to expel from the country all Russian diplomats who “were clearly identified by the special services of the Czech Republic as officers of the Russian special services” – the Foreign Intelligence Service and the GRU. Russian intelligence officers suspect involvement in explosions in Czech ammunition depots in 2014.
In solidarity with the Czech Republic, the expulsion of Russian diplomats was also announced Slovakia, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.
European Commission condemned the ban of Russia on May 3 for the entry of eight citizens of the countries of the European Union and called this decision politically motivated.
– .
