Italy expelled 30 Russian diplomats as a “risk to national security”

The Italian Foreign Minister, Luigi di Maio, announced on Tuesday from Berlin the expulsion of 30 diplomats from the Russian embassy as a risk “to national security” and following the decisions taken by other European countries.

Di Maio, who is in Berlin for the Moldova Support Group conference, announced that this Tuesday the Russian ambassador to Italy, Sergei Razov, was summoned to inform him of the expulsion of these 30 diplomats considered “persona non grata”, adding that it is taking place “in the context of the current situation of consequent crisis to the unjustified aggression against Ukraine by the Russian Federation”.

Italy thus continues the decision to expel diplomats who had already taken countries such as Denmark, Germany or France in recent hours, although it did not yet communicate the deadlines for them to leave the nation.

On Monday, the German Government declared 40 Russian diplomats from the Berlin embassy, also considered spies, “persona non grata”, who have been given five days to leave the country.

Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock stressed that the employees of the Russian embassy are a “threat to those who seek protection among us.”

According to the German agency DPA, the Minister of the Interior, Nancy Faeser, said that the diplomats expelled are those “that we attribute to the Russian intelligence services.”

“We will not allow this criminal war of aggression to be carried out as an information war in Germany as well,” Faeser said.

France, for its part, reported the expulsion of “numerous” diplomats from that country, considering their activity contrary to national “security interests”.

(With information from EFE)

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