NATO joins the nations in Russian diplomat expulsions over spy attack

Brussels, March 28: In the initiative to expel Russian diplomats, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) joined two dozen governments around the world today in response to a nerve agent attack in Britain, marking what London called a turning point in the West's relations with Moscow.

The US-led military alliance expelled seven Russian staff and denied accreditation to three more, bringing the total number of Russian diplomats expelled to almost 150, including the 23 initially dispatched by Britain.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said in Brussels that the move will send a clear message to Russia that there are costs and consequences for their unacceptable pattern of behavior.

In an official tweet of NATO it was announced that “In light of the dangerous pattern of Russian behavior and lack of constructive response after Salisbury, NATO has decided to reduce the number of Russian officials accredited to NATO by 10.”

 

At least 24 countries have echoed Britain's action in response to the March 4 attack on former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the English city of Salisbury.

Washington has ordered out 60 Russians in a new blow to US-Russia ties while Australia, Canada, Ukraine and 17 European Union states followed with smaller-scale expulsions.

Moscow has denied any involvement in Sergei's attempted murder, instead pointing the finger at London. It responded to Britain's expulsions with its own, and the closure of the British Council cultural organization.

On the sidelines of a conference in Uzbekistan on Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said, it would hit back against the coordinated moves.

Lavrov said the coordinated response was the result of colossal pressure, colossal blackmail from the United States.