As relations between Russia and the West deteriorate, Russia ordered the departure of dozens of French diplomats on Wednesday.
According to Russian Foreign Ministry statements, Russia targeted 34 French diplomats as well as 27 Spanish diplomats. In recent weeks, France and Spain both took similar steps to expel Russian diplomats from their respective countries. The Spanish diplomats have one week to leave Russian territory, while the French have two weeks.
In early April, France expelled six Russian citizens it claimed were acting as spies under diplomatic cover.
The Kremlin’s response comes as tensions between Russia and the West remain high. Despite their tradition of neutrality, Sweden and Finland submitted a joint request to join NATO on Tuesday.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin’s regime had previously stated that such a move could warrant the deployment of nuclear and hypersonic weapons to the Finnish border. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov brushed aside the development in a Tuesday statement, however, saying it will not make “much difference.”
“Finland and Sweden, as well as other neutral countries, have been participating in NATO military exercises for many years,” Lavrov said Tuesday.
“NATO takes their territory into account when planning military advances to the East. So in this sense there is probably not much difference. Let’s see how their territory is used in practice in the North Atlantic alliance,” he added.
Lavrov’s statement was a stark departure from Russia’s previous stance on NATO expansion. Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s security council, argued in April that such a move would justify Russia deploying nuclear and hypersonic weapons to its Western border with Finland.
“There can be no more talk of any nuclear-free status for the Baltic – the balance must be restored,” he said at the time. “Until today, Russia has not taken such measures and was not going to. If our hand is forced, well … take note it was not us who proposed this.”
