Russian diplomats expelled: List of countries and organizations keeps growing

Oren Dorell | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Russian expulsions largest since the Cold War AP's Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee explains that Monday's actions against Russia mark the largest expulsion of Russians by the US and its allies since the end of the Cold War. (March 26)

NATO, Ireland, Belgium and the tiny former Soviet republic of Moldova on Tuesday joined the United States and other countries who expelled Russian diplomats Monday in a show of solidarity with the United Kingdom over the nerve-agent attack against a former Russian spy in England.

"I have today withdrawn the accreditation of seven staff at the Russian Mission to NATO," Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said. He added that he will also deny pending requests for three others.

Before his announcement, the list had already topped 25 countries who expelled 140 Russian diplomats and intelligence operatives, Stoltenberg said.

Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney said he will expel one of 17 Russian diplomats stationed in Dublin, according to The Irish Times. And Moldova announced it would eject three Russian diplomats, according to the Russian Sputnik news site.

Russia denies any involvement in the March 4 poisoning, which British authorities said involved a nerve agent called Novichuk, which was developed by the Soviet military.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia’s response will be up to President Vladimir Putin. “We will be guided by the principle of reciprocity as before," Peskov said.

Here's a look at the countries that announced measures and the number of Russians ordered to leave:

• UNITED STATES: 60 Russian diplomats expelled. The Russian consulate in Seattle was ordered closed. It provided consular services to U.S. residents in Alaska, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oregon, Utah, Washington state and Wyoming, as well as Guam, American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands.

• BRITAIN: 23 Russian diplomats expelled. Prime Minister Theresa May said 100 Russian intelligence officers were being expelled from their countries. "And together we have sent a message that we will not tolerate Russia’s continued attempts to flout international law and undermine our values,” May told Parliament.

• CANADA: Four Russians expelled identified as intelligence officers or people who used diplomatic cover to undermine Canada’s security. Three applications for additional diplomatic staff were being denied.

• UKRAINE: 13 Russian diplomats expelled. President Petro Poroshenko said the next step is to increase sanctions against Russia for international crimes. Russia annexed the Crimea Peninsula from Ukraine in 2014.

• FRANCE, GERMANY, POLAND: Four Russian diplomats expelled from each country.

• CZECH REPUBLIC, LITHUANIA, MOLDOVA: Three Russian diplomats expelled from each country. Lithuania also banned 44 Russian citizens from entering the country because of human rights violations, corruption or money laundering, according to the Latvian embassy in Washington.

• ALBANIA, AUSTRALIA, DENMARK, ITALY, NETHERLANDS, SPAIN: Two Russian diplomats from each country.

• BELGIUM, CROATIA, ESTONIA, FINLAND, HUNGARY, IRELAND, LATVIA, MACEDONIA, NORWAY, ROMANIA, SWEDEN: One Russian diplomat from each country. Latvia also blacklisted one Russian representative of a Russian company blacklisted.

Contributing: The Associated Press

