The Russian side is expelling five Swedish diplomats as a “retaliatory measure against Sweden’s confrontational actions,” the Russian Foreign Ministry reports.
The Ministry reported that on May 25, the Swedish Ambassador to Moscow, Malena Mard, was summoned to the Foreign Ministry. “The Ambassador of Sweden was informed that the Russian side, as a response, decided to declare five Swedish diplomats persona non grata, including three employees of the defense attache at the Swedish Embassy in Moscow,” the message says.
The Russian Foreign Ministry called the announcement on April 25 of five employees of Russian foreign missions in Sweden persona non grata as “an openly hostile step by Stockholm”. “These actions of the Swedish authorities have further aggravated the situation in bilateral relations, which have reached an unprecedented low level,” the diplomatic department stressed. The message also notes that Swedish diplomats are instructed to leave the Russian Federation within the same time limits that were set aside by the Swedish authorities for the departure of Russian employees.
In addition, from September 1, the Russian Federation withdraws its consent to the operation of the Swedish Consulate General in St. Petersburg and from the same day the Russian Consulate General in Gothenburg ceases to work.
Source: Rosbalt
Mario Twitchell is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his insightful and thought-provoking writing on a wide range of topics including general and opinion. He currently works as a writer at 247 news agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
