- The Washington Times - Thursday, March 29, 2018

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced Thursday that 60 U.S. diplomats will be expelled and the U.S. consulate in St. Petersburg closed down in a tit-for-tat response to U.S. sanctions in the wake of a nerve-gas attack on an ex-Russian double agent living in England.

Similar measures are expected against more than two dozen Western countries and the NATO alliance which have taken action against Russia over the attack earlier this month that left ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter gravely ill. All told, Russian officials said Thursday, about 150 foreign diplomats will be sent packing in the very near future.

The Trump administration, saying it was acting in support of the government of U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May, earlier this week expelled 60 Russian diplomats — many believed to be intelligence agents operating under cover — and said it was closing Moscow’s consulate in Seattle.

Similar moves are expected against diplomats of other countries that have sanctioned Russia. The Americans — who included 58 diplomats working in Moscow and two at the U.S. consulate in Yekaterinburg — were given just a week to leave the country.

The May government says analysis of the nerve gas and other evidence point to the direct involvement of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his government, charges the Russians have staunchly denied.

Mr. Lavrov told reporters in Moscow that the measures were “reciprocal,” meant to mirror the steps the U.S. has taken.


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The Russian website Sputnik News said that U.S. Ambassador to Russia Jon M. Huntsman Jr. had been summoned to the Foreign Ministry to be informed of the new measures Thursday. Mr. Huntsman did not talk to reporters after leaving the meeting but said in a statement later in the day that the move showed the Kremlin was not interested in dialogue to determine what happened or to try to improve relations.

In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert called Thursday’s expulsions “regrettable” and “unwarranted.”

“Russia should not be acting like a victim” in the case, Ms. Nauert told The Associated Press, adding the Trump administration reserved the right to take further actions in light of Russia’s move.

Separately, Mr. Lavrov revealed that Russia is calling for an emergency meeting of the watchdog group the Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, in order to examine the evidence and determine who was behind the attack.

​To date, nearly 30 NATO and allied countries have announced the expulsion of Russian diplomats and other sanctions in recent days, including Germany, Canada, France, Australia and Georgia. NATO announced Wednesday that 10 of the 30 Russians in the mission posted at the alliance’s Brussels headquarters were also being sent home.

Mr. Skripal remains in critical condition at a British hospital, but his 33-year-old daughter Yulia is said to be improving and is now in stable condition.

“She has responded well to treatment but continues to receive expert clinical care 24 hours a day,” said Dr. Christine Blanshard, medical director at Salisbury District Hospital, according to the AP.

Russian officials, who have complained the British government has not shared its findings on the attack, say they want access to Ms. Skripal if she is recovered enough to talk.

Both the United States and Russia have used diplomatic posts as a cover in the past for intelligence operatives, but Sen. Chris Van Hollen, Maryland Democrat, said it was likely there were fewer American spies being sent home in the tit-for-tat retaliations between the White House and the Kremlin.

“Obviously we have intelligence folks overseas, including Russia,” Mr. Van Hollen said, while arguing the U.S. puts far less emphasis on intelligence sources overseas than does Russia. “The Russians have been known to spend a lot more of their assets investing in the intelligence area,” he explained.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry said it was prepared to escalate the dispute if the U.S. and its allies responded to Thursday’s moves.

“We invite the U.S. authorities who are encouraging a slanderous campaign against our country to come back to their senses and stop thoughtless actions to destroy bilateral relations,” the ministry said in a statement.

This article was based in part on wire service reports.

• David R. Sands can be reached at dsands@washingtontimes.com.

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