Portugal Expels 10 Russian Diplomats, Has Two Weeks To Leave

Russian Embassy in Lisbon, Portugal. (Wikimedia Commons/Cesar-atk)

JAKARTA - Portugal has decided to expel a number of Russian diplomats, following similar steps taken by several countries in connection with Moscow's invasion of Ukraine on February 24.

The Portuguese government has decided to declare ten Russian embassy staff persona non grata, the country's foreign ministry said on its website on Tuesday.

"The foreign ministry announces that today the Portuguese government notified the Russian ambassador, of its decision to declare persona non grata ten staff of this diplomatic mission, whose actions are contrary to national security," the statement said.

Portuguese diplomats will leave the country within two weeks.

"The Portuguese government reiterates its firm and unequivocal condemnation of Russia's aggression in Ukraine," the ministry said.

As previously reported, dozens of Russian diplomats were expelled from Germany, France, Italy and Denmark starting last Monday. It is recorded that the number of Russian diplomats who were expelled in Germany reached 40 people, France 35 people, Italy 30 people and Denmark 15 people.

Meanwhile, Lithuania on Monday said it expelled the Russian ambassador over the invasion of Ukraine. As for Denmark, take a slightly different attitude. Despite expelling the diplomats, they do not want to cut diplomatic ties with Moscow. Thus, the ambassador and several other staff were not expelled.

"Related measures will be taken against the staff of the country's foreign office. Russia will provide an appropriate response to the expulsion," said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.

In this regard, a senior Moscow official said Russia would respond proportionally to the expulsion of dozens of its diplomats by Western countries, calling the move damaging to bilateral relations.

Russia will respond proportionally to the expulsion of its diplomats from a number of Western countries, the former Russian president and deputy head of the security council Dmitry Medvedev said late Monday.

"Everyone knows the answer, it will be symmetrical and damage bilateral relations," Medvedev said in a post on his Telegram channel.

"Who have they punished? First of all, themselves," said Medvedev.