The war is on its way to end a year. Next February 24 marks 12 months of Putin’s announced “special military operation” in Ukraine. Since then, Ukrainian and Russian troops have been fighting in the occupied country and The international community is paying particular attention to what is happening in Ukraine.
Eyes are on the battlefield, but no one ignores what’s happening around them. underneath, the movements of all countries are monitored, especially his decisions regarding Russia. In this sense, the government of Austria announced on Thursday the expulsion of four Russian diplomats for actions “inconsistent” with his status and has claimed so Leave the country before February 8th.
“The four Russian diplomats concerned must leave Austria within a week at the latest, i.e. before the end of February 8, 2023. were declared unwanted person pursuant to Article 9 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations”, explains the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement.
Austria’s decision was reacted to immediately Russiawho announced it will take action against the Central European country. “Russia will give an appropriate answer”a Foreign Ministry source told the Russian state agency TASS.
Almost 600 diplomats have been expelled during the war so far
The four diplomats concerned are two from the Russian Embassy in Austria and two others from the Permanent Mission of Russia to international organizations in Vienna, a city where the UN has the headquarters of various organizations. According to TASS, The reasons for the expulsions varied, both related to the war and related to incompatible activities with diplomatic status.
These four expulsions They will join nearly 600 Russian diplomats who have been expelled from Western countries since the beginning of the year War almost a year ago, also from Spain. It is the largest number of expulsions of Russian diplomats since 2018, when 123 Russian embassy employees were declared persona non grata for the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal.