According to Germany’s foreign minister, the decision to remove a third of Berlin’s diplomatic corps from Moscow was “in no way justifiable.”
Moscow has announced the expulsion of 40 German diplomats in retaliation for Berlin’s “unfriendly move” to expel Russian diplomats over the Ukraine crisis.
As part of a symmetrical reaction, Russia’s foreign ministry summoned Germany’s ambassador in Moscow and delivered him a memo “declaring persona non grata 40 personnel of German diplomatic institutions in Russia.”
“A strong complaint was lodged with the head of the German diplomatic mission in Moscow in connection with the German government’s overtly hostile decision” to expel Russian diplomats, according to the ministry.
The decision of the ministry is expected to affect more than 100 Germans, with the diplomats’ family being ordered to leave the country as well.
The decision was “anticipated,” but “in no way justified,” according to German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock.
She said that the 40 Russian diplomats who had previously been removed by Berlin “did not serve diplomacy for a single day,” but those dismissed by Russia “had done nothing wrong.”
Germany said earlier this month that it was expelling a “substantial number” of Russian diplomats over Ukraine, after similar measures by other European countries.
Baerbock stated at the time that the decision was made in response to Russia’s “unbelievable savagery” in invading Ukraine, a pro-Western country.
She also called the Russian exiles spies who “fought every day here in Germany against our freedom, against the fabric of our society,” and said their actions posed a “danger to people seeking shelter in our nation.”
Baerbock’s statements were deemed “inappropriate” by Russia’s foreign ministry. It went on to say that Berlin’s decision was “driven by a completely incorrect allegation that the above-mentioned workers’ activity was intended at damaging Germany’s ‘freedom’ and ‘unity of German society,’ as well as insinuations about what is going on in Ukraine.”
