The Spanish authorities have announced that the country plans on expelling around 25 Russian diplomats and staff members of the embassy after a mass grave was found in the Ukrainian town of Bucha.
The Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jose Manuel Albares, said that the country has decided to make such a decision and expel the Russian diplomats and staff members as they represent a threat to the country’s interests, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
The Minister revealed that currently, they are planning to expel a group of around 25 persons. However, it has been noted that the list is still being completed, meaning that new additions can be made.
Spain’s announcement regarding the expulsion of these individuals follows similar moves made by other European countries.
Germany, France, and Lithuania are three of the countries that have already decided to take measures against the Russian diplomats.
Germany has expelled 40 Russian embassy staff until now. The news was confirmed by the German Minister of Foreign Affairs, Annalena Baerbock. She said that the German government decided to “declare undesirable a significant number of members of the Russian embassy who have worked here in Germany every day against our freedom, against the cohesion of our society.”
According to her, such a decision has been taken as the Russian diplomats in the country present a threat to more than 300,000 Ukrainian nationals who are seeking international protection in Germany.
In addition, Baerbock emphasised that Germany would enhance the existing sanctions against Russia and would increase the support for Ukrainian armed forces.
Moscow called the decision of Germany ‘unfriendly’ while at the same time warned that such actions would worsen the relations between the two countries.
The French authorities have also announced the expulsion of several Russian diplomatic personnel. A spokesperson of the French Foreign Ministry said that the government decided to take such a decision as the activities of the now expelled Russian personnel do not align with the security interests of France.
“France decided this evening to expel a number of Russian personnel with diplomatic status stationed in France whose activities are against our security interests,” the French Ministry of Interior said.
Following the example of the other countries, Lithuania also decided to take similar measures. The Lithuanian government announced that it had dismissed the Russian ambassador and warned that the country would also soon close the Russian embassy.
The Russian representatives have denied the accusations. They said that the mass killings in Bucha could have been staged.
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