Russian diplomats are expelled by 17 EU states

Russian diplomats are expelled by 17 EU states

Scores of Russian spies are being expelled from capitals across the globe, as allies  stand in solidarity with Great Britain in an unprecedented show of support over the Salisbury nerve agent attack.

More than 100 Russian diplomats have been ejected from the United States and 17 European Union countries.

The US is announced the expulsion of 60 Russians, including including 12 intelligence officers from Russia's mission to UN headquarters in New York

Germany, France, and Poland each expelled four diplomats, with Lithuania, Latvia and the Czech Republic also taking action. Ukraine - not an EU state - joined the European revolt by expelling 13 diplomats.

Canada followed suit by expelling three Kremlin staffers and , in a flurry of action this evening both Hungary and Norway announced the expulsion one diplomat. Soon after Spain announced the expulsion of two diplomats.   

Malta also expressed support for the UK However, the island refrained from expelling diplomatic staff from Russia itself due to their 'very small' mission in Moscow. 

Trump's ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, welcomed the move and said: 'Here in New York, Russia uses the United Nations as a safe haven for dangerous activities within our own borders.'

Spokeswomen for the White House and the State Department, along with Haley and US ambassador to Moscow Jon Huntsman condemned the alleged Russian attack.

But Trump himself, who was expected to tweet on the subject this afternoon, was silent. 

Today's expulsions mark the strongest moves President Donald Trump has taken against Russia since coming to office. 

He has been criticized by Democrats and members of his own Republican Party for failing to be tough enough on Russia over US allegations of Russian meddling in the US electoral system including the 2016 presidential campaign.

The Kremlin reacted in kind, threatening to 'respond to every country'. 

Russia's ambassador to the US said the move had 'ruined what is left of Russian-U.S. ties,' threatening Washington by saying they will bear responsibility for the consequences. 

Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said Moscow will proceed from the 'principle of reciprocity' while mulling over its response to the decisions made by Washington and EU countries.

Peskov added the Foreign Ministry will analyze the situation and present a proposal to Putin - who will make the ultimate decision on how to respond.

A statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry said: 'The provocative gesture of solidarity with London by these countries, who have bowed to the British authorities in the so-called Skripal affair and did not bother to understand the circumstances of what happened, is a continuation of the confrontational path to escalation.

'Britain's allies ... are blindly following the principle of Euro-Atlantic unity, to the detriment of common sense, the norms of civilized international dialogue, and the principles of international law.'

'It goes without saying that this unfriendly act by this group of countries will not go without notice and we will react to it.'

The Russian ambassador to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, called the US expulsion of diplomats 'unfortunate and unfriendly'.

The Russian Mission to the UN has called the international solidarity shown to the UK 'provocative'. 

Announcing the EU's coordinated action earlier today, President of the European Council Donald Tusk said: 'Last week the European council condemned in the strongest possible terms the recent attack on Salisbury.

'The European Council agreed with the UK government assessment that its highly likely the Russian federation is responsible and there is no plausible alternative explanation.

'And we decided to recall the EU ambassador to Russia for consultation. As a direct follow up to last week's European council decision to react to Russia within a commons framework already today 17 member states have decided to expel Russian diplomats. 

'Additional measures including further expulsions within the EU framework, are not to be excluded in the coming days and weeks.

'We remain critical of the actions of the Russian government.'  

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said his decision to expel 13 diplomats was taken 'in the spirit of solidarity with our British partners and transatlantic allies and in coordination with EU countries'. 

Czech President Milos Zeman revealed he had asked his spy service to check if the nerve agent novichok had ever been produced in the Czech Republic.

A spokesman for Mr Zeman said: 'The president has tasked the BIS to find out whether or not the nerve gas novichok was developed or stored on the Czech Republic's territory, be it at industrial or scientific facilities.' 

In a bizarre move, Ukraine's Twitter account posted a message mocking the Kremlin.

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