Russia has expelled several American diplomats from the United States Embassy in Moscow and declared them ‘persona non grata’, a State Department spokesperson has said, days after the US ousted Russian staff at the United Nations.
Earlier this month, the US expelled 12 diplomats from Russia’s mission to the UN, saying they engaged in espionage activities.
The move was described by Russia as a hostile action and gross violation of the commitments by the US as the host country of the United Nations headquarters.
“We can confirm that the US Embassy received a list of diplomats declared ‘persona non grata’ from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on March 23,” a State Department spokesperson said on Wednesday.
“This is Russia’s latest unhelpful and unproductive step in our bilateral relationship. We call on the Russian government to end its unjustified expulsions of US diplomats and staff,” the spokesperson said.
“Now more than ever, it is critical that our countries have the necessary diplomatic personnel in place to facilitate communication between our governments,” the spokesperson said.
