Russia expels 40 German diplomats in retaliatory move

Moscow, Apr 25 (EFE).- Russia has expelled 40 German diplomats in a tit-for-tat move, the foreign ministry in Moscow announced on Monday.

The development comes after Berlin expelled the same number of Russian diplomats earlier this month.

“The German ambassador was handed a letter declaring 40 members of the German diplomatic representations in Russia as ‘persona non grata,’” the official statement said.

Russia’s decision was communicated to German ambassador Geza Andreas von Geyr, who was summoned to the foreign ministry.

On April 4, the German government declared 40 Russian diplomats persona non grata for allegedly working for Russia’s intelligence services.

These people have “worked every day here in Germany against our freedom, against the cohesion of our society,” a statement from the German foreign ministry said.

So far this year, more than 420 Russian diplomats have been expelled from different countries, most of them in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24.EFE

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