Swedish’s diplomats are expelled from Russia

Moscow removed three Swedish diplomats on Tuesday after Stockholm ousted three Russian diplomats for the Ukraine war, contradicting Sweden’s claim that four were sacked.

Russia’s foreign ministry said it summoned Sweden’s ambassador and “strongly protested” the expulsion of Russian diplomats as well as Sweden’s “military backing for the Kyiv government.”

It also accused Sweden of  “covering up the crimes of Ukrainian nationalists against the civilian population of Donbas and Ukraine,”  referring to an area in eastern Ukraine held by pro-Russia rebels.

“In response to this, the Russian side decided to declare persona non grata three diplomats of the Swedish embassy in Russia,” the ministry said.

Sweden said in early April that it was expelling three Russian diplomats who had engaged in “illegal activity,” following the lead of other EU partners.

Sweden’s Foreign Minister Ann Linde called the action “very regrettable,” but said that four diplomats had been expelled: three from the Swedish embassy in Moscow and one from the Swedish consulate in Saint Petersburg.

Linde stated in a written statement to AFP that Sweden dismissed the Russians because they engaged in actions that ” but claimed the Swedish diplomats had conducted “traditional diplomatic activities.” but that Swedish diplomats engaged in “traditional diplomatic activities.”

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