Russia to expel 60 US diplomats

The announcement was made by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Thursday, just days after US announced its decision to expel 60 diplomats from Russia.

"US Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman has been summoned to our ministry, where my deputy Sergei Ryabkov is briefing him on the tit-for-tat steps against the US,"  Sergey Lavrov was quoted s saying by Russian news agency TASS.

"They include the expulsion of the same number of diplomats and our decision to withdraw consent to the work of the Consulate General in St. Petersburg," he said.

US representatives should fully move out of the building of the Consulate General in St Petersburg not later than Saturday, March 31, the Russian Foreign Ministry was quoted as saying in the TASS report.

The US said there was no justification to the Russian action.

US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said during a daily press briefing: "I want to remind you that there is no justification for the Russian response. Our actions were motivated purely by the attack on the United Kingdom, the attack on a British citizen and his daughter."

"Remember, this is a first time that a weapons-grade nerve agent, Novichok, has been used outside of war on allied soil. We have not taken these steps lightly; we’ve taken these steps in concert with our allies across the world," she said.

"Twenty-eight countries now join the United States backing our allies in the decision to have kicked out 153 Russian spies from the various countries. Georgia is the latest country that has joined us in this effort. I believe they announced today that they would kick out one spy, which is significant, given that Georgia is in the backyard of Russia," she said.

"It appears that Russia has chosen to take the regrettable, unwarranted action to respond to our entirely justified action that I just covered. As I understand it, Russia plans to take the same unjustified actions against 28 other countries, countries that stood in solidarity with the UK. Russia is further isolating itself following the brazen chemical attack. We are still reviewing the details of the Russian action, but let me say, again, that we reserve the right further to any Russian retaliation against the United States.

In a major development, the US on Monday announced their decision to expel 60 Russian diplomats from its nation.

The White House said the diplomats were expelled in response to the poisoning of a former Russian spy in the UK.

The US also announced the closure of the Russian consulate in Seattle. 

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement: "Today President Donald J. Trump ordered the expulsion of dozens of Russian intelligence officers from the United States and the closure of the Russian consulate in Seattle due to its proximity to one of our submarine bases and Boeing."

"The United States takes this action in conjunction with our NATO allies and partners around the world in response to Russia’s use of a military-grade chemical weapon on the soil of the United Kingdom, the latest in its ongoing pattern of destabilizing activities around the world," she said.

Speaking further on the decision taken by the US, Sanders said: "Today’s actions make the United States safer by reducing Russia’s ability to spy on Americans and to conduct covert operations that threaten America’s national security."

Russia has denied its involvement in the attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter in England.

Both are undergoing treatment at a hospital.

The move has been made by the US just days after its President Donald Trump called Russian President Vladimir Putin over his re-election.

As per officials, Trump congratulated his Russian counterpart in a telephone call this month.

Sergei Skripal, 66, was born in Russia on 23 June 1951.

He joined the elite Soviet airborne troop known as the Desantniki and travelled to Afghanistan.

Following his stint in Afghanistan, Skripal graduated from Diplomatic Military Academy in Moscow.

Later, he was picked up GRU - Russia's military intelligence, and worked for them as a spy.

Under cover as a diplomat, he travelled to Europe and worked as a spy.

In between 1980-1990, Skripal was allegedly approached by the UK intelligence and he is said to have turned a double agent.

In early 2000, he quit the GRU.

He was arrested for spying by Russian authorities in Dec 2004 and was sentenced 13 years in a labour camp.

According to reports, Skripal, a championship boxer in his youth, was equal to the task of settling scores with goons who were allegedly placed in the camp to rough him up.

In July 2010, he was released as part of a major spy swap.

In 2012, he lost his wife Liudmila to cancer.

Five years later, he lost his son Sasha, who died in St Petersburg.

His son's death is said to be suspicious.
 

(Trump's image from Facebook,Putin's image from Wikipedia/ Kremlin.ru)