Moscow expels 40 German diplomats in tit-for-tat move

Online desk: Moscow says it’s expelling 40 German diplomats in response to the “unfriendly decision” by Berlin to kick out Russian diplomatic staff over the conflict in Ukraine.

Russia’s foreign ministry said in a statement it had summoned Germany’s ambassador in Moscow and handed him “a note about 40 employees of the German diplomatic establishments in Russia being declared personae non gratae”.

Responding, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said: “We expected today’s step, but it is in no way justified.”

She added the 40 Russian diplomats expelled by Berlin in early April “did not serve diplomacy for a single day” while those expelled by Russia had “not done anything wrong”.

Western nations have expelled dozens of Russian diplomats amid increasing outrage over Moscow’s military campaign in Ukraine, and Russia has said it will respond to all such expulsions.

Those declared persona non grata are generally given days or weeks to leave the country, BBC reports.