WASHINGTON (AP) From Washington to Warsaw, Western nations banded together Monday to expel more than 100 Russian diplomats they accused of being spies, punishing Moscow for its alleged poisoning of an ex-intelligence officer in Britain.
President Donald Trump, under constant political heat for his reluctance to challenge Russia, ordered 60 of its diplomats out of the U.S. all of them spies, the White House said. The United States called it the largest expulsion of Russian spies in American history, and also shuttered Russias consulate in Seattle, deeming it a counterintelligence threat.
All told, at least 21 countries have ousted more than 135 Russians, including 23 kicked out earlier by the U.K.
Together we have sent a message that we will not tolerate Russias continued attempts to flout international law and undermine our values, British Prime Minister Theresa May told Parliament.
The American moves illustrated an increased willingness by Trumps administration to push back on the Kremlin, even as the president himself steadfastly avoids challenging Russian President Vladimir Putin personally or directly. Less than a week ago, Trump congratulated Putin for his re-election but didnt raise the March 4 spy poisoning, Russias alleged election-meddling in the U.S. or its own tainted voting process, prompting dismayed critiques even from Trumps fellow Republicans.
In a choreographed show of trans-Atlantic unity, the U.S. and European allies timed their announcements for maximum effect.
Within a few hours, at least 16 European Union nations expelled Russians, with more likely to follow. Germany, Poland and France each said it planned to boot four Russian diplomats, the Czech Republic and Lithuania ousted three and Italy, two. Canada also took action, kicking out four Russians and denying three who have applied to enter the country.
Almost all of the countries said publicly that those being expelled were actually Russians intelligence operatives working under diplomatic cover.
Moscow threatened retaliation of the tit-for-tat variety, suggesting it would kick out an equal number of foreign diplomats. Russias Embassy in Washington responded to the Seattle consulate closure by asking its Twitter followers to vote which U.S. consulate should be shuttered in turn: St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg or Vladivostok.
This is an attempt on the lives of Russian citizens on the territory of Great Britain, Russias Foreign Ministry said. It goes without saying that this unfriendly move by this group of countries will not go unnoticed.
