One By One Diplomats Get Expelled, Russian Foreign Ministry: Why Not All Persona Non Grata?

Maria Zakharova. (Twitter/@EmbassyofRussia)

JAKARTA - The Russian Foreign Ministry stressed that the expulsion of its diplomats, which was carried out continuously lately, would not change its position in Ukraine.

France has become the latest country to say persona non grata against a Russian representative, who it says is carrying out intelligence operations under the guise of spying. Previously, persona non grata was also imposed by a number of countries against Russian diplomats.

"Why not declare everything (Russian diplomat persona non grata)? To make us change our position (on Ukraine)? No, we will not change it," said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, launching TASS, on April 12.

"And I will inform the French Foreign Ministry as follows: if you threaten Kyiv with sanctions for non-implementation of the Minsk agreement at least once, you will achieve peace and stability in Europe."

As previously reported, the French Foreign Ministry on Monday declared six Russian agents disguised as diplomats as persona non grata, after an investigation by the domestic intelligence service concluded they were working against France's national interests.

"Following a very lengthy investigation, the General Directorate of Internal Security (DGSI) disclosed on Sunday 10 April, a covert operation carried out by the Russian intelligence services on our territory," the ministry said in a statement, without elaborating.

"Six Russian agents operating under diplomatic cover and whose activities are proven to be contrary to our national interests, have been declared persona non grata," the statement said.

Dozens of Russian diplomats were previously expelled from various countries in connection with the invasion of Ukraine. Portugal declared persona non grata 10 Russian diplomats, then Germany reached 40 people, France 35 people, Italy 30 people, and Denmark 15 people. There is also Lithuania, who took the bold step of expelling the Russian ambassador to the country.

In addition, it was recorded that Belgium expelled 21 Russian diplomats, 17 Dutch diplomats, and 4 Irish diplomats. Several other EU countries, including Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Bulgaria, Poland, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic, have also demanded Russian diplomats leave their countries.

"Related measures will be taken against the staff of the country's foreign office. Russia will respond accordingly to the expulsion," Zakharova stressed some time ago.

Meanwhile, a Kremlin spokesman viewed the recent expulsion of Russian diplomats from several countries as short-sighted steps that narrowed diplomatic communications.

"We assess it negatively, we regret it. This is a petty step to narrow the possibilities of diplomatic communication, diplomatic work in difficult conditions, difficult conditions, and unprecedented crisis for response measures," Peskov stressed.