Since January, the countries have already managed to expel more than 300 Russian diplomats. This is the maximum since 2000, RBC calculated, analyzing how Russia and other countries have exchanged expulsions over the past 20 years
Since 2000, more than 700 employees of Russian diplomatic missions in different countries have faced the requirement to go home. Moscow sent almost 1,1 thousand people in response. Since the beginning of 2022, foreign countries have announced the expulsion of more than 370 Russian diplomatic staff of various ranks. This is the maximum since 2000. In just over three months, countries have expelled more Russian diplomats than in total over the past 17 years: from 2004 to 2021, 364 people.
Statements about the most massive expulsions since the beginning of the year occurred during the military operation in Ukraine. The next round began on April 4-5.
A new wave of expulsions
In terms of the number of expelled Russian diplomats, the United States has been leading since 2000 – a total of 223 people. Poland rose sharply to second place in 2022: on March 23, Polish special services demanded the expulsion of 45 Russian diplomats suspected of espionage from the country. Before that, for all the time since 2000, Poland had eight expelled diplomats on its account.
Then there are Germany, France and Italy. On April 4, the German Foreign Ministry announced the expulsion of 40 Russian diplomats, the Italian Foreign Ministry- 30 diplomats, the French Foreign Ministry announced a decision to expel “many” Russian diplomats from the country, but did not specify their number. According to BFM, we are talking about 30 employees. For all the time before that, since 2000, Germany has expelled 10 people, France and Italy – four people each.
Slovenia is expelling Russian diplomats for the first time since 2000. On April 5, the country’s Foreign Ministry announced that it would expel 33 people. Following these countries, Spain rose sharply in the list. The country’s Foreign Ministry announced its decision to expel about 25 Russian diplomats on April 5. The Foreign Minister also said that the number of diplomats is still being specified.
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Estonia also entered the top ten leading countries in 2022. On April 5, the Estonian Foreign Ministry announced that it was expelling 14 employees of the Russian consulate, closing the consulate in Narva and the office in Tartu. From 2000 to 2021, Estonia expelled 10 people.
Denmark, the Netherlands and Belgium have also announced mass expulsions. The Netherlands demanded the expulsion of 17 Russian diplomats, which is twice as much as in total over the past 20 years (8 people in 2000-2021). Belgium only once expelled a Russian diplomat in 2018 because of the Skripals’ case. On March 23, 2022, the country’s Foreign Ministry announced that it was expelling 21 diplomats. Denmark expelled Russian diplomats twice from 2000 to 2021. On April 5, the Danish Foreign Minister announced the decision to expel 15 Russian diplomats, explaining this by the desire to ensure the security of the country.
Other countries have also announced expulsions. Lithuania and Latvia lowered the level of diplomatic relations with Russia on April 4. Lithuania’s decision implies the recall of the ambassador from Russia, the order for the Russian ambassador to leave Lithuania, as well as the closure of the Russian Consulate General. On April 5, the Latvian Foreign Ministry decided to close the Russian Consulates General in Daugavpils and Liepaja and expel 13 diplomats.
The European Union also announced the expulsion of Russian diplomats. On April 5, the head of EU diplomacy, Josep Borrel, announced the expulsion of “a certain number” of diplomats from the permanent mission of Russia to the EU. According to Bloomberg, we are talking about 19 employees whose activities “contradict their diplomatic status”.
The Russian Foreign Ministry announced retaliatory measures, but so far it is known about the expulsion of 15 diplomats: one from the United States and Montenegro, three from Estonia, Latvia and Slovakia, and four people from Lithuania. On March 23, the department also handed the US Embassy a note with a list of expelled American employees, but their number was not called. The move was a response to Washington’s expulsion of 12 employees of the permanent mission to the UN.
5 large-scale diplomatic expulsions
In March 2001 The US has expelled 50 Russian diplomats “for activities incompatible with the diplomatic status”. The American authorities suspected some embassy employees of having ties with Robert Hanssen, an FBI agent who worked for Soviet and Russian intelligence services for many years. Moscow responded to this expulsion in a mirror way.
At the beginning of December 2013 The American authorities have accused employees of the Russian embassy of fraud with health insurance. It was alleged that they illegally received insurance compensation totaling $1.5 million. A total of 49 Russians went home. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov admitted the guilt of some diplomats. There was no return expulsion.
In December 2016 The United States decided to expel 35 Russian diplomats from the country. In Washington, they were suspected of having ties with intelligence. Moscow responded a few months later, proposing to reduce the number of diplomatic and technical staff at the US embassy and consulates by 755 people at once.
In March 2018 22 countries have decided to expel Russian diplomats in solidarity with the UK in connection with the Skripal case. The UK has expelled 23 people, the USA- 60, EU countries- 33. They were also joined by Canada, Albania, Macedonia, Norway and Ukraine. Russia responded by expelling 130 diplomats.
In April 2021 About 30 people were expelled from Europe after Moscow was accused of involvement in the explosions at weapons depots in the Czech Republic. In addition, the United States announced the expulsion of ten Russian diplomats as part of a new package of sanctions. Russia did the same, demanding the departure home, including the press secretary of the American embassy in Moscow. Subscribe to RuTube RBC Live broadcasts, videos and recordings of broadcasts on our RuTube channel