Posted Apr 4, 2022, 10:33 PMUpdated on Apr 4, 2022, 10:51 PM
After Belgium, the Netherlands, Ireland and the Czech Republic, France and Germany announced on Monday their intention to expel “many” Russians enjoying diplomatic status in retaliation for the war in Ukraine.
While the countries of the European Union are considering new sanctions against Moscow because of the invasion of Ukraine, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced in a press release that it wanted to expel diplomats whose activities would be contrary to the interests of France , specifying that “this action is part of a European approach”. A diplomatic source told Reuters that 35 people were targeted by the measure.
“Person not grateful”
Germany had announced a little earlier that it had qualified as “persona non grata” a “significant” number of members of the Russian embassy. “The images reaching us from Boutcha testify to incredible brutality coming from the Russian camp,” said German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock.
“The Federal Government has therefore decided today to declare undesirable a significant number of members of the Russian Embassy who worked every day here in Germany against our freedoms, against the cohesion of our society,” she continued.
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, quoted by Interfax, announced that Russia would respond to these French and German initiatives.
–
Facing uncertainty
In an unprecedented geopolitical and economic context, the editorial expertise of Les Echos is invaluable. Every day, our surveys, analyses, columns and editorials accompany our subscribers, help them understand the changes that are transforming our world and prepare them to make the best decisions.
