Several European countries have already announced that they will deport Russian diplomats, and on Tuesday Sweden also made a decision.
What can be the consequences for Sweden?
- We know how the Russian side will respond.
They will expel Swedish diplomats, in the same way as other European diplomats are expelled.
We have been through this several times before in recent years.
It has become part of a normal situation, says Martin Kragh, Russia researcher.
But despite the fact that it is referred to as a normal situation, there is a problem in the decision, Kragh states.
- Russia has a disproportionate number of more diplomats in Europe than the European countries have in Russia.
If the Swedish embassy loses a diplomat, it will affect a lot because it is from the beginning a small organization compared to the Russian embassy in Stockholm.
"A national assessment in decisions on numbers"
Several countries have been tougher and demanded that more Russian diplomats be expelled, but Sweden remains at number three.
Why exactly three diplomats?
- I do not think one should focus on the number of expulsions.
That is the selection itself.
Sweden has expelled Russian diplomats several times before.
This is done to mark politically, I judge.
There is always a national assessment in these decisions behind the number.
Denmark expels 15. Is the Danish message "harder"?
- Each country must make its own considerations and the Swedish consideration was obvious that they expel three.
But I think what you see from the Russian side is that the EU is united in expelling diplomats.
And how many each country exhibits is secondary.
- What would have raised eyebrows is if Sweden had not done something.