Here is the diplomat “scorecard” following Russia’s response to the wave of western diplomat expulsions prompted by the UK’s poisoning hoax.
According to Zerohedge, what is notable is that while the mutual expulsions are equal for virtually all countries, the number of UK diplomats to be expelled is more than double the 23 Russians that were kicked out last week, suggesting more retaliation from London is inevitable”
UK -27: 23 Russians Out, 50 Brits Out
US 00: 60 Russians Out, 60 Americans Out
Germany 00: 4 Russians Out, 4 Germans Out
Poland 00: 4 Russians Out, 4 Poles Out
Denmark 00: 2 Russians Out, 2 Danes Out
Spain 00: 2 Russians Out, 2 Spaniards Out
Ireland 00: 1 Russian Out, 1 Irish Out
Croatia 00: 1 Russian Out, 1 Croatian Out
Not all European countries joined “in solidarity” with the UK: Austria said it won’t be joining the punitive measures against Russia. “Indeed, we want to keep the channels of communication to Russia open,” Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl said. Czech President Milos Zeman called the London claims “a bit superfluous,” and demanded the UK deliver proof of its allegations that Russia had a hand in the Skripal poisoning. Turkey also refused to expel Russians, with its Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag saying that “Turkey isn’t considering taking any decisions against Russia” and explained that the current crises in US-Turkish relations is a large factor in their decision not to alienate Moscow at a time when “there is a positive and good relationship between Turkey and Russia.
*****
Moscow responded to recent expulsions of Russian diplomats from Western nations with its own tit-for-tat retaliation. Yesterday, the Kremlin announced it was kicking out 58 employees of the U.S. embassy in Moscow and two of the U.S. consulate in Yekaterinburg.
On Friday morning, the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the heads of diplomatic missions from countries that had either already expelled or decided to expel Russian diplomats “in solidarity” with the UK over the Skripal case. All of them were handed notes of protest. Among those summoned was UK envoy to Russia Laurie Bristow, who was told that within one month, the British side must cut its diplomatic staff in the embassy and its consulates across Russia to the same size as the Russian diplomatic mission in the UK, after the UK expelled 23 Russian diplomats last week.
While no exact numbers were provided to the public, foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said, “the UK must cut more than 50 embassy staff in Russia.”
Moscow also expelled two Italian diplomats and gave them a week to leave the country, the Italian Foreign Ministry confirmed in a statement. The list included a number of Swedish, Finnish and Polish diplomats as well. They were given several days to leave the country.
The map below summarizes the number or Russian diplomats expelled…
The post “23 Russians Out, 50 Brits Out.” Here is the full scorecard of diplomat expulsions appeared first on The Duran.