Russia expels diplomats from Macedonia and 22 more countries


Earlier in the day Moscow had summoned the ambassadors of a number of nations including Britain, France, Germany and Canada to tell them of retaliatory measures.

Envoys from Germany, Spain, Holland, Norway and Ireland were all told to leave on Friday as the Kremlin began a tit-for-tat removal of foreign dignitaries, matching the number of Russians removed from each country.

It also told the UK that it would have to further reduce its presence in Moscow, upping the ante after it matched the 23 Russian diplomats expelled from Britain after the Novichok poisoning of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal.

The move came one day after Russia announced it was expelling 60 US diplomats and closing the consulate in St. Petersburg in retaliation for Washington’s moves.

The countries informed Friday of expulsions were Australia, Albania, Germany, Denmark, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Canada, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Ukraine, Finland, France, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Sweden and Estonia. 

Moscow said it Russia would consider mirror expulsions of diplomats from Belgium, Hungary, Georgia and Montenegro. The statement did not mention Nato, which is expelling seven Russians.