Russia expels 40 German diplomats
Russia announced the expulsion of 40 German diplomats, considering them persona non grata.
On Monday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said it had sent a protest note to the German ambassador in Moscow over the unfriendly policy of Berlin, and the expulsion of 40 Russian diplomats in early April.
According to information from the German News Agency (dpa), the number of expelled diplomats is equivalent to about a third of the German diplomatic corps in Russia.
The German side has been waiting for the Russian response for weeks, after Berlin declared 40 Russian diplomats "persona non grata" who are believed to be carrying out espionage activities in Germany.
The decision issued by the Russian Foreign Ministry is expected to apply to more than 100 Germans, because relatives of diplomats will also have to leave the country.
It is also expected that the services of German diplomatic missions, including consulates outside the capital, Moscow, will be significantly restricted.
It is noteworthy that the German embassy in Moscow is the largest among the diplomatic missions of the European Union countries in the Russian capital.
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