Unable to find spies, New Zealand bans entry to any Russian expelled by allies
Some analysts see the government’s decision not to expel any Russians as one the first major international missteps for the charismatic PM Jacinda Ardern
New Zealand will not allow entry to Russian diplomats expelled by other countries in response to a nerve agent attack on a former Russian spy in Britain, that Britain has blamed on Russia, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Thursday.
The attempted murder of Sergie Skripal, a former colonel in Russian military intelligence who betrayed dozens of Russian agents to Britain’s MI6 spy service, has plunged Moscow’s relations with the West to a new post-cold war low.
After Britain expelled 23 Russians it said were spies working under diplomatic cover, Russia followed by throwing out 23 British diplomats.
The United States and other Western countries, including most member states of the European Union and Nato, expelled more than 100 diplomats.
She said on Thursday she would ask allies for the names of the Russians they expelled and they would not be allowed into New Zealand to protest against Russia’s “inadequate response” to the attack in Britain.
