Moscow took this measure in retaliation for the expulsion of 41 Russians carried out in April by France, in the wake of the offensive in Ukraine.
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Relations between France and Russia are still strained a little more. The French ambassador in Moscow was summoned, Wednesday, May 18, to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was given a note indicating that “34 employees of French diplomatic establishments in Russia have been declared persona non grata”, writes Russian diplomacy in a press release. These diplomats must leave Russia within two weeks, according to the same source.
The Quai d’Orsay reacted by “strongly condemning” these expulsions and deplored this decision of the Russian authorities “which has no legitimate basis”.
“The work of these diplomats and the staff of our embassy in Russia, whose courage and great professionalism France salutes, is on the contrary fully within the framework of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic and Consular Relations”reacted the spokeswoman for the Quai d’Orsay, Anne-Claire Legendre, in a press release.
Russia also decided to expel 24 Italian diplomats “able to retaliate”said the spokeswoman for Russian diplomacy, Maria Zakharova, even before the Italian ambassador had arrived at the Foreign Ministry for his summons.
Twenty-seven Spanish diplomats have seven days to leave the country, added Russian diplomacy.