27 countries pledge to kick out Russian diplomats over poisoning of ex-spy

ByBEN GITTLESON ABCNews logo
Wednesday, March 28, 2018

More than two dozen nations on three continents this week vowed to boot out Russian diplomats in response to the poisoning of a former Russian spy in England, including the U.S. which is expelling 60 envoys.



The United Kingdom earlier this month sent home 23 Russian diplomats -- after saying Russia was behind the poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal in Salisbury, England.



Since Monday, the following 27 countries and NATO have said that they, too, are expelling Russian diplomats, bringing the total being sent home to Russia to at least 152.



U.S.: 60 diplomats (and it said it would close Russia's consulate in Seattle)



Ukraine: 13 diplomats



NATO: 7 diplomats will have accreditation withdrawn, three others' pending accreditation requests have been denied



Canada: 4 diplomats (and denying three others' applications)



France: 4 diplomats



Germany: 4 diplomats



Poland: 4 diplomats



Lithuania: 3 diplomats



Czech Republic: 3 diplomats



Moldova: 3 diplomats



Netherlands: 2 diplomats



Italy: 2 diplomats



Denmark: 2 diplomats



Spain: 2 diplomats



Albania: 2 diplomats



Australia: 2 diplomats



Estonia: 1 diplomat



Latvia: 1 diplomat



Romania: 1 diplomat



Finland: 1 diplomat



Croatia: 1 diplomat



Hungary: 1 diplomat



Sweden: 1 diplomat



Norway: 1 diplomat



Macedonia: 1 diplomat



Ireland: 1 diplomat



Belgium: 1 diplomat



Montenegro: 1 diplomat (and withdrawing the status of one honorary consul)



The president of the European Council, Donald Tusk, suggested there could be more measures to come.



Russia's foreign ministry on Monday issued a statement today protesting the U.S. and European expulsions of Russian diplomats, calling it a "provocative step" and warning that it will respond. Moscow did not say explicitly how it would act, but after the U.K. kicked out 23 Russian diplomats this month, Russia expelled the same number of British diplomats.



"Rest assured, we will respond," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday, without offering specifics. "No one would want to tolerate such obnoxiousness and we won't either."



Skripal and his daughter, Yulia Skripal, were found slumped over, unconscious on a park bench in the southern English town of Salisbury. The U.K. has accused Russia of bearing responsibility for the March 4 attack, which British officials say involved a military-grade nerve agent of a type developed secretly by Russia -- an assessment shared by the United States.



Russia has denied any involvement.



ABC News' Dragana Jovanovic contributed reporting from London, ABC News' Clark Bentson contributed reporting from Rome and ABC News' Patrick Reevell contributed reporting from Moscow.

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