Following similar expulsions of Russian diplomats across Europe last month, Russia is dismissing 34 French and 24 Italian diplomats.
The French diplomatic staff will have two weeks to depart Russia, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Russia claimed it was reacting to France’s “provocative and entirely unjustified decision” to expel 41 Russian diplomats in April, which it said had harmed relations between the two nations.
24 Italian diplomats will also be removed, according to spokeswoman Maria Zakharova of the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti. She didn’t say anything else.
