As the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell visited Moscow on Feb. 5, Russian authorities announced on the same day that they had expelled diplomats from three EU member states for allegedly participating in protests in support of opposition leader Alexei Navalny. In response, the foreign ministries of Germany, Ryder and Poland, which were involved in the expulsion of diplomats, announced on August 8 that they would each expel a Russian diplomat assigned to their countries as a joint countermeasure to the Russian side’s decision.
Borelli’s visit to Moscow was a real humiliation for Putin’s authorities during the recent Navalny poisoning and arrest upon his return to Russia, as well as during the controversy in Germany over the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. After returning to Brussels, Borrelli recalled in a blog post his visit to Russia from the 4th to the 6th, revealing with some resentment that he had learned of the expulsion of EU diplomats from Russia on social media on the day of the incident.
Borrelli said, “Unfortunately, when the meeting was over, we learned through social media that three EU diplomats had been expelled because they had done something unbecoming of a diplomat and participated in a demonstration (in support of Navalny).” He continued, “I asked Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to revoke this decision, but to no avail.” It is worth noting that Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov also accused the EU of being an “unreliable partner” in the presence of Borrelli, who was standing by during the press conference after the meeting.
Borrelli later wrote in a blog post, “My meeting with Minister Lavrov highlighted the fact that Europe and Russia are drifting apart. Russia seems to be gradually disconnecting from Europe.” In response to the Russian decision to expel three EU diplomats, the Polish Foreign Ministry said via Twitter on Monday, “In response to the unjustified expulsion of Polish diplomats by the Russian Foreign Ministry, the Polish Foreign Ministry decided today to consider a Russian diplomat working at the Russian Consulate General in Poznań as persona non grata, in accordance with the principle of reciprocity and in coordination with Germany and Sweden. “
The German Foreign Ministry also issued a statement saying, “In accordance with Article 9 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of April 18, 1961, the Foreign Ministry today declared an employee of the Russian Embassy in Berlin persona non grata. With this step, the federal government is reacting to the Russian Federation’s decision on Friday, February 5, 2021. Russia has had several EU diplomats, including an employee of the German Embassy in Moscow, expelled. There is no justification for this decision. The German diplomats concerned were simply fulfilling their mandate under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations to obtain information on developments on the ground by lawful means.”
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