Ukraine: EU nations expel 150 Russian diplomats, many for ‘spying’, in 48 hours
- Italy, Spain, Denmark, Sweden among several countries to throw out Moscow’s officials amid outrage over Putin’s invasion of Ukraine
- One count puts the total number expelled by the EU since the war began on February 24 at around 260; Kremlin talks of ‘retaliatory steps’
Italy, Spain and Denmark joined EU allies Tuesday in expelling Russian diplomats amid increasing outrage over the Ukraine conflict, with around 150 sent home in the last 48 hours.
The expulsions, many for alleged spying, follow international condemnation of killings in the town of Bucha, near Kyiv, where dozens of bodies were discovered after Russian troops withdrew.
Moscow has rejected Western accusations that its forces were responsible, suggesting the images are fake or the deaths occurred after they pulled out.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Tuesday that the mass expulsions of its diplomats was “a short-sighted move”.
“Narrowing down opportunities for diplomatic communication in such an unprecedentedly difficult crisis environment is a short-sighted move that will further complicate our communication, which is necessary to find a solution,” he said.