Russia’s United Nations ambassador said move ‘gross
violation’ of UN agreement with US
The US is expelling 12 Russian diplomats at the United Nations
for engaging in activities not in accordance with their responsibilities and
obligations as diplomats.
US deputy ambassador Richard Mills confirmed the expulsions
after Russia’s UN Ambassador Vassily
Nebenzia told
the Security
Council on Monday
afternoon that he had just been informed.
Mr Nebenzia described the move as “yet another hostile step
undertaken by the host country” against the Russian Mission.
He called the expulsions a “gross violation” of the UN agreement
with the US as the host of the United Nations and of the Vienna Convention
governing diplomatic relations.
Olivia Dalton, the US spokesperson at the UN, tweeted: “The US
has informed the Russian Mission that we are beginning the process of expelling
12 intelligence operatives from the Russian Mission who have abused their
privileges of residency in the US by engaging in espionage activities that are
adverse to our national security.”
She added: “We are taking this action in accordance with the
headquarters agreement. Today’s action has been in the works for several
months.”
The Russian mission to the UN is believed to consist of
approximately 100 people.
Earlier this month the Russian government expelled US deputy
chief of mission Bartle Gorman from the country.
A State Department spokesperson told The Independent at
the time that Mr Gorman’s expulsion was “unprovoked” and said the US is “considering
our response” to what it called “an escalatory step”.
Tensions with Russia have been elevated for some time and
reached boiling point when Russian forces attacked Ukraine five days ago.
The US has since succeeded in uniting the west against Russia
with a growing number of harsh sanctions and other measures, designed to
cripple the Russian economy in response to the invasion.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-expels-russian-diplomats-un-b2025281.html
US expelling Russian diplomats from UN mission in New York
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/2/28/us-expelling-russian-diplomats-from-un-mission-in-new-york
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