The United States announced on Monday the expulsion for “espionage” of 12 members of the Russian mission to the UNa measure denounced shortly after by Moscow as a “hostile action”, in the midst of an open crisis between the powers over the war in Ukraine.
The US mission to the United Nations said in a brief statement that the 12 Russian delegates are “intelligence agents” who “abused their residency privileges” in the host country by carrying out “espionage activities contrary to our national security.”
The first to announce the expulsion was the Russian ambassador to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia, in an unusual press conference.
When the meeting with the journalists had just begun, the ambassador asked those present for a minute to respond to a telephone call. “I have just received information that US authorities have declared 12 diplomats from the mission” of Russia to the UN persona non grata, he said at the end of the call.
Nebenzia denounced a “hostile action” and “serious violation of the host country” of its commitments within the framework of the rules applicable to foreigners working in the United Nations, stressing that those affected have until March 7 to leave the country.
“This is a hostile move against our country,” Anatoly Antonov, Russia’s ambassador to Washington, also said on Facebook, adding that Moscow is “deeply disappointed” and “totally rejected” the US claims.
A Russian diplomatic source later told AFP that the expulsion decision was not addressed to the ambassador nor to his two main deputies, Dmitry Polyanskiy and Anna Evstigneeva.
According to Olivia Dalton, spokeswoman for the US mission to the UN, the action had been “in development for months.”
Shortly before, the deputy ambassador of the United States to the United Nations, Richard Mills, had said in a meeting of the Security Council that the expulsion of these diplomats it is due to “activities that do not correspond” to their status.
The Russian mission to the UN has a hundred people, according to a Russian diplomatic source.
The expulsion announcement comes on the last day of Russia’s rotating presidency of the Council. of Security of the UN, which changes every month.
Russia will cede its presidential seat to the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, and on Monday it planned a reception to mark the end of a term that has been marked, without precedent, by launching a war against a neighboring country.
“It is not clear if there will be many guests,” an embassy told AFP.r under condition of anonymity about this event to which, unusually, no journalist was invited.
The United States announced on Monday the expulsion for “espionage” of 12 members of the Russian mission to the UNa measure denounced shortly after by Moscow as a “hostile action”, in the midst of an open crisis between the powers over the war in Ukraine.
The US mission to the United Nations said in a brief statement that the 12 Russian delegates are “intelligence agents” who “abused their residency privileges” in the host country by carrying out “espionage activities contrary to our national security.”
The first to announce the expulsion was the Russian ambassador to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia, in an unusual press conference.
When the meeting with the journalists had just begun, the ambassador asked those present for a minute to respond to a telephone call. “I have just received information that US authorities have declared 12 diplomats from the mission” of Russia to the UN persona non grata, he said at the end of the call.
Nebenzia denounced a “hostile action” and “serious violation of the host country” of its commitments within the framework of the rules applicable to foreigners working in the United Nations, stressing that those affected have until March 7 to leave the country.
“This is a hostile move against our country,” Anatoly Antonov, Russia’s ambassador to Washington, also said on Facebook, adding that Moscow is “deeply disappointed” and “totally rejected” the US claims.
A Russian diplomatic source later told AFP that the expulsion decision was not addressed to the ambassador nor to his two main deputies, Dmitry Polyanskiy and Anna Evstigneeva.
According to Olivia Dalton, spokeswoman for the US mission to the UN, the action had been “in development for months.”
Shortly before, the deputy ambassador of the United States to the United Nations, Richard Mills, had said in a meeting of the Security Council that the expulsion of these diplomats it is due to “activities that do not correspond” to their status.
The Russian mission to the UN has a hundred people, according to a Russian diplomatic source.
The expulsion announcement comes on the last day of Russia’s rotating presidency of the Council. of Security of the UN, which changes every month.
Russia will cede its presidential seat to the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, and on Monday it planned a reception to mark the end of a term that has been marked, without precedent, by launching a war against a neighboring country.
“It is not clear if there will be many guests,” an embassy told AFP.r under condition of anonymity about this event to which, unusually, no journalist was invited.
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