China News Agency, Moscow, April 23 (Reporter Wang Xiujun) Since mid-April, Russia has launched a diplomatic expulsion war with many countries in the United States and Europe.
As of the 23rd, Russia and other countries expelled each other's diplomats from each other's actions have not stopped, and the situation has intensified.
On April 15th, the United States imposed sanctions on Russia and expelled 10 Russian diplomats on the grounds that Russia interfered in the US election and carried out cyber attacks on the United States.
On the same day, Poland expressed support for US sanctions on Russia and expelled three Russian diplomats in Poland.
On April 16, Russia announced its response measures and stated that it would expel 10 American diplomats and 5 Polish diplomats.
On April 17, the Czech Republic expelled 18 members of the Russian Embassy in the Czech Republic on the grounds that Russian intelligence personnel were suspected of participating in the 2014 Czech arsenal bombing.
On April 18, Russia upgraded its response measures, announcing the expulsion of 20 Czech diplomats, including the Czech deputy ambassador to Russia.
After that, the Czech side required Russia to make a decision to allow the expelled Czech diplomats to return to Russia before 13:00 on the 22nd, Moscow time, otherwise measures will be taken to reduce the number of personnel in the Russian embassy in the Czech Republic to the same number as the personnel in the Czech embassy .
The Russian side said it would not accept this request.
On the 22nd, the new Czech Foreign Minister Kulhanek stated that because Russia did not respond to the request of the Czech side, the Czech side decided to limit the number of Russian embassy in the Czech Republic to a level equivalent to the current Czech embassy in Russia.
Ukraine also broke out in a diplomatic expulsion war with Russia.
On April 17, Russia announced the expulsion of a Ukrainian diplomat on the grounds that he received confidential information when meeting with Russian citizens.
On the same day, the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also announced the expulsion of a Russian diplomat, saying that the decision was a response to Russia's provocation.
On the 22nd, Slovakia joined the diplomatic expulsion war.
On the same day, the Slovak government office expressed its support for the Czech Republic and decided to expel three Russian diplomats.
Faced with this situation, Russia said it would respond to the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
On the 23rd, RIA Novosti quoted the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs as saying that the Russian Embassy in the Czech Republic will cut 35 diplomats and 46 administrative and technical personnel before May 31.
The Czech Republic will cut 16 diplomats, 4 administrative and technical personnel and 91 local employees from its embassy in Russia.
"The irresponsible provocative behavior of the Czech authorities has caused its own diplomatic department to be hit hard."
At present, this diplomatic expulsion war is still going on, and it is showing an intensifying trend.
On the 23rd, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia announced that in order to show their support for the Czech Republic, the three countries had decided to expel Russian diplomats.
Among them, Estonia and Latvia each decided to expel 1 Russian diplomat, and Lithuania decided to expel 2 Russian diplomats.
In this regard, Molotov, a member of the International Affairs Committee of the Russian State Duma (lower house of parliament), said that the decision of the three countries had no basis.
Eastern Europe has a certain anti-Russian sentiment.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zakharova said on the same day that there is no doubt that it will introduce response measures to the actions of the above three countries.
"Their diplomats may have begun to understand who must pack their bags."
Facing the current situation, many officials from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the State Duma, and the Federal Council (upper house of parliament) stated that the United States is the “master plan” of this diplomatic expulsion war. "Traces", "in order to closely follow the pace of the United States."
Some media quoted analysts as saying that such frequent and intensive expulsions of diplomats indicate that the fighting between Russia and the United States and Europe has intensified, and the game between the two sides on various issues will continue to ferment in the future.
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