Russia expels European diplomats over Navalny protests
Russia has expelled three diplomats from Germany, Sweden and Poland for joining protests in support of opposition activist Alexei Navalny, who was jailed earlier this week.
The Russian foreign ministry said the three took part in “illegal demonstrations” on 23 January.
Sweden called the expulsion “totally unfounded” and denied its diplomat had participated in any demonstration.
Mr Navalny is a vociferous critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The expulsion of the diplomats was announced on Friday, hours after EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell met Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow.
Hundreds of thousands of people took part in protests in support of Mr Navalny across Russia on 23 and 31 January. Thousands of participants were arrested.
The German foreign ministry denounced the expulsion as being “in no way justified” and said it would retaliate if Russia did not reconsider.
Who is Alexei Navalny?
Mr Navalny, 44, is a political activist who has campaigned against corruption and Mr Putin since 2011.
Last August he was poisoned with a nerve agent in eastern Russia and taken to Germany for treatment. He returned home at the end of January, despite warnings from the Russian government that he would be arrested.
He was then jailed for three-and-a-half years for what prosecutors said was a violation of the terms of a suspended sentence for fraud in 2014.
Mr Navalny accuses Mr Putin of running an administration riddled with corruption.
Shortly after his return to Russia, he released a YouTube video featuring an opulent Black Sea palace which, he alleged, was a Russian billionaires’ gift to the president. More than 100 million people have watched the video.
Mr Putin has denied ownership. Last week Arkady Rotenberg, a billionaire businessman close to Mr Putin, came forward to say he bought the palace two years ago.
(c) BBC
“The German foreign ministry denounced the expulsion as being “in no way justified” and said it would retaliate if Russia did not reconsider”
How are Germany going to retaliate, by inviting Russia into G7?
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By completing Nordstream. That will teach Moscow! 😐
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This is what the asshole said. These people are living in an alternate reality.
“There are issues in which we can and must work together,” Borrell told reporters at a joint news conference with Lavrov, who said that “both sides have confirmed their interest in maintaining and expanding channels of dialogue, including on issues on which our positions differ.”
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Bah!
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I guess the only person with immunity is the limping imp in the Kremlin. Time to empty all Moskali consulates and embassies and send all the KGB back to their forsaken land.
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Diplomats should not be participating in protests against the host government no matter where they are stationed. When Nuland and others appeared to be supporting the protests on the Maidan, they should have been thrown out. The business of a diplomat is representing their government to the host government and taking part in protests is a violation of their position and duty.
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Diplomats protest all the time in their host countries. The ruSSo-slime do it everywhere they go. Perhaps not with a sign in a crowd but through social media, newspapers and phone calls, but constantly. Nuland was representing the US when she supported freedom in Ukraine and her country was proud of her. What country are you from Dachshund ohengineer?
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Diplomats is another word for spies in Russia, because all their diplomats are spies, Russian logic says they all countries diplomats are. BTW could do with a few boxes of Nuland’s cookies sending over, let’s shake the place up again.
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Wouldn’t that be hilarious if she showed up with a huge bag labelled Nuland’s Cookies?! I wonder how long before she got kidnapped?
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RT would go into meltdown. LMAO
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