Russia hits back against EU countries in spy poisoning row

In St. Petersburg, where Russian officials demanded that the US shut down its consulate by Saturday night, workers busily loaded boxes and bags onto trucks.

The EU states include: France (4), Poland (4), Germany (4), Lithuania (3), Czech Republic (3), Denmark (2), Italy (2), Spain (2), Netherlands (2), Estonia (1), Latvia (1), Sweden (1), Finland (1), Romania (1), Croatia (1), Hungary (1), Ireland (1) and Belgium (1).

Monday’s mass expulsions by the United States, European Union nations and some other countries were a show of solidarity for Britain, which blames Russia for poisoning a former Russian intelligence agent in Britain with a military-grade nerve agent.

Chinese nationals living in the United States have also begun to disappear under suspicious circumstances, although unlike previous targets, “they were not high-profile folks”, said one former USA intelligence official.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said Moscow would respond with “tit-for-tat” measures, but they might “not only” be symmetrical.

The Prime Minister praised the unified response of the worldwide community as Ireland became the 24th country to join the diplomatic action against the Kremlin.

It’s not immediately obvious what it means in practice, but it’s clear that Russia sees Britain as the ringleader of an worldwide conspiracy which resulted in the biggest mass expulsion of Russian diplomats in history.

In Australia, whose government said on Tuesday it would expel two diplomats, the Russian ambassador, Grigory Loginov, told reporters the world will enter into a “Cold War situation” if the West persists with its bias against Russia.

“This message from Moscow is not surprising”, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said in response to the expulsion of German envoys.

“There are now 26 countries that have expelled about 150 Russian diplomats”.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the world is approaching a situation “similar” to the Cold War as tensions rise between the United States and Russian Federation. Mr Skripal remains in a critical but stable condition.

The move on Friday was in retaliation for the wave of ejections of Russian officials after what the United Kingdom and its allies alleged was a nerve agent attack on Sergei and Yulia Skripal in the southern English city of Salisbury.

On or hand, Russian Federation plans to convene an extraordinary session of Executive Council of Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) on 2 April to discuss matter “Skripal”, said Friday Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov after Meeting with Special Representative of UN Secretary-General on Syria, Steffan de Mistura. Ambassadors of other Western nations were summoned to Moscow.

Meanwhile, Salisbury NHS Trust, which oversees the hospital where the Skripals are being treated, said that 33-year-old Yulia is “improving rapidly and is no longer in a critical condition”.

Bristow had been handed a protest note over the “provocative and unfounded actions of the British side which instigated the unwarranted expulsion of Russian diplomats from a variety of states”, the Russian foreign ministry said. This order came days after UK Prime Minister Theresa May expelled the same number of Russian diplomats from Britain.

Ms Skripal is understood to be conscious and talking having been poisoned with novichok while visiting her father in Salisbury.

North Atlantic Treaty Organisation has also joined the chorus of countries penalising Russian Federation. Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said there was no explanation given for the search, which she called “the latest provocation”.

“She has responded well to treatment but continues to receive expert clinical care 24 hours a day”, said Blanshard.