Moscow has given two Australian diplomats a week to leave Russia in retaliation for Canberra booting out two of its spies.

In a joint statement on Saturday morning, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said there is no justification for the expulsions by Russia.

"This is a disappointing, although not unexpected, reaction by the Russian Government to the decision of the Australian Government to expel two Russian diplomats working as undeclared intelligence officers," the statement said.

"Australia's action was in concert with 28 other nations expelling a total of 153 Russian diplomats in an unprecedented demonstration of global solidarity with the United Kingdom."

On Wednesday Ms Bishop announced two Russian spies had been given six days to leave Australia, in a show of solidarity with the UK over the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury.

Labor leader Bill Shorten supported the government's decision, calling it an appropriate and proportionate response.

"The Russian Government must understand there are real consequences for engaging in attacks on foreign soil and refusing to tell the truth about them," he said in a joint statement with Labor senator Penny Wong on Saturday.

"We have to act in the way that we believe is in Australia's national interest, and on this occasion that was sending a strong signal that we reject Russia's action and we stand with our friends and allies."

Australia's ambassador to Russia Peter Tesch was among the diplomats summoned to the Russian foreign ministry on Friday to be told of the expulsions.

The diplomatic mission in Moscow has 10 staff.

In total, Russia will expel 59 diplomats from 23 countries following on the expulsion of 23 British and 60 American diplomats earlier in the week.</s>Situation escalates over the alleged poisoning of a former spy and his daughter earlier this month

Foreign Affairs Minster Chrystia Freeland says the diplomats have been declared “person non grata” by the Russian government. (Canadian Press)

Global Affairs Canada says four Canadian diplomats have been expelled from Russia as the dispute between the Kremlin and the West escalates over the alleged poisoning of a former spy and his daughter earlier this month.

In an email Friday, a spokesman for Foreign Affairs Minster Chrystia Freeland says the diplomats have been declared “person non grata” by the Russian government and efforts were underway for those affected to return to Canada.

The move comes after Freeland announced Monday the expulsion of four Russian diplomats from Canada as the U.S. and more than a dozen European allies took similar actions against dozens of Russian diplomats in their own countries.

On Thursday, the Russian Foreign Ministry in Moscow summoned the U.S. ambassador to announce the expulsion of 60 U.S. diplomats in a tit-for-tat response to Washington’s move.

Nearly two dozen ambassadors from other countries followed suit Friday.

The expulsions follow the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the British city of Salisbury on March 4 by what has been described as a military-grade nerve agent.

A hospital treating the Skripals said Thursday that 33-year-old Yulia was improving rapidly and is now in stable condition, although her 66-year-old father remained in critical condition.

The Kremlin has denied any involvement in the attack on Skripal, who served as a double agent for British intelligence before he was arrested by Russian authorities and later transferred to the United Kingdom in a spy swap.

But western governments have nonetheless blamed Russia for what Freeland has described as a “despicable, heinous and reckless act, potentially endangering the lives of hundreds.”

Meanwhile, the expulsions affect not only the diplomats, but their families as well, forcing them to take their children out of school in the middle of the year.

“The well-being of Global Affairs Canada employees is our priority,” Adam Austen, Freeland’s press secretary, said in a statement to The Canadian Press. “We will be making every effort to support those affected and their families with their return to Canada.”

Austen added that Canada’s decision to expel the Russian officials earlier in the week was done “in solidarity with our close ally, the United Kingdom.”

“This action was in no way aimed at the Russian people, with whom Canada has long and fruitful ties,” he said. “Canada remains committed to dialogue and co-operation with Russia on issues where we face common challenges.”

Last week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said during a Toronto news conference that Russian President Vladimir Putin needs to answer for Russia’s role in the nerve gas attack. The next day, the Russian embassy tweeted its response, accusing Trudeau of using confrontational and unproductive rhetoric.</s>Lavrov said Russia would be applying the same response to other nations that also expelled Russian diplomats this week.

"Based on the principle of reciprocity, in response, 58 employees of the US Embassy in Moscow and two employees of the U.S. Consulate General in Yekaterinburg were declared 'persona non grata' for activities incompatible with diplomatic status," Russian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Ryabkov said in the statement.

Ryabkov said the diplomats must leave by April 5 and that the consulate in Saint Petersburg must be closed by March 31.

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said at a press briefing that the U.S. would not rule out responding further to Russia's latest action, signaling the possibility of a further escalation.

"We reserve the right to respond," she said.

On Monday, the U.S., the U.K., NATO and 25 other countries announced the expulsion of dozens of Russian diplomats in response to the poisoning of ex-Russian spy Sergei Skripal in British that was allegedly orchestrated by the Kremlin.

The U.S. said it would dismiss 60 Russian diplomats identified by officials as intelligence officers, as well as close Russia's Seattle consulate. Twelve of those to be expelled were from the Russian mission to the UN, while 48 were from other places throughout the U.S. The individuals have one week since the announcement to leave.

In total, over two days, the U.S., U.K., NATO and the 27 other countries, including Georgia, previously part of the Soviet Union, expelled a total of 153 Russian diplomats in a show of solidarity with Britain.

These steps, a senior Trump administration official told reporters on the condition of anonymity Monday, were intended to let the Russian government know that "when you attack our friends, you will face serious consequences."

Removing these Russians, the official said, is also a bid to reduce the "unacceptably numerous" Russian intelligence officers who reside in the United States and spy on Americans.</s>Lavrov said Russia would be applying the same response to other nations that also expelled Russian diplomats this week.

"Based on the principle of reciprocity, in response, 58 employees of the US Embassy in Moscow and two employees of the U.S. Consulate General in Yekaterinburg were declared 'persona non grata' for activities incompatible with diplomatic status," Russian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Ryabkov said in the statement.

Ryabkov said the diplomats must leave by April 5 and that the consulate in Saint Petersburg must be closed by March 31.

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said at a press briefing that the U.S. would not rule out responding further to Russia's latest action, signaling the possibility of a further escalation.

"We reserve the right to respond," she said.

On Monday, the U.S., the U.K., NATO and 25 other countries announced the expulsion of dozens of Russian diplomats in response to the poisoning of ex-Russian spy Sergei Skripal in British that was allegedly orchestrated by the Kremlin.

The U.S. said it would dismiss 60 Russian diplomats identified by officials as intelligence officers, as well as close Russia's Seattle consulate. Twelve of those to be expelled were from the Russian mission to the UN, while 48 were from other places throughout the U.S. The individuals have one week since the announcement to leave.

In total, over two days, the U.S., U.K., NATO and the 27 other countries, including Georgia, previously part of the Soviet Union, expelled a total of 153 Russian diplomats in a show of solidarity with Britain.

These steps, a senior Trump administration official told reporters on the condition of anonymity Monday, were intended to let the Russian government know that "when you attack our friends, you will face serious consequences."

Removing these Russians, the official said, is also a bid to reduce the "unacceptably numerous" Russian intelligence officers who reside in the United States and spy on Americans.</s>Sixty Russian diplomats expelled by the United States in response to an apparent attempt to assassinate a former double agent in Britain with a nerve agent are set to return home on Saturday, Moscow's envoy said.

'On March 31 all the diplomats who were declared persona non grata are flying home together with their families,' Russia's ambassador to the US, Anatoly Antonov, told reporters.

In total, 171 people will leave the country, state news agency TASS reported Antonov as saying.

The Russian government provided two planes for the evacuation and one of them will make a brief stopover in New York to collect 14 families, he added.

Washington this week joined a score of Britain's allies in expelling Russian diplomats in response to the attack, with a total of more than 150 now ordered out of the US, EU members, NATO countries and other nations.

The US said it was expelling 60 alleged Russian 'spies' posted around the country and at the Russian mission to the United Nations.

Russia's consulate in Seattle will also be closed, but the total size of Russia's diplomatic footprint in the US might not shrink for long, because the expelled staff could be replaced, the US authorities have said.

Moscow responded on Thursday by announcing that it was expelling 60 US diplomats and closing Washington's consulate in Saint Petersburg.

On Friday, Russia expelled even more diplomats from 23 countries, most of them European Union member states.

In response, the U.S. said there is 'no justification' for Russia's move to expel diplomats and the country should not act 'like a victim.'

Speaking to reporters in Moscow on Friday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov insisted that 'Russia didn't start any diplomatic wars' and had to respond.

U.S. consulate staff in St. Petersburg, Russia's second-largest city, have been seen clearing out the building after the government ordered the consulate's closure.

Staff and security guards were spotted carrying out boxes and furniture as passers-by cheered them on, calling for the Americans to 'get out of here'.

The tit-for-tat measures were retaliation to the coordinated expulsion of Russian diplomats by Britain and its allies over a nerve agent attack against former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the English city of Salisbury on March 4.

Britain has said it is 'highly likely' that Russia was responsible for the Skripal attack using the Novichok nerve agent developed in the Soviet Union, but Russia has angrily denied any involvement.</s>BERLIN (Reuters) - Russia on Friday expelled four German diplomats, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Friday, as the Kremlin responds in kind to expulsions of its own officials from Western countries standing with Britain over the poisoning of a former agent.

"The news from Moscow comes as no surprise," Maas said in a statement. "Even in the current climate we remain ready for dialogue with Russia and we will work on both European security and constructive future relations between our countries."

 Germany this week expelled four Russian diplomats over Moscow's suspected involvement in the poisoning of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal in England.

 

 

 (Reporting by Joseph Nasr; Editing by Edmund Blair)</s>Moscow, March 30 - Russian has decided to expel two diplomats from the Italian embassy in Moscow, the Italian foreign ministry said on Friday. The move follows Italy's expulsion of two Russian diplomats over the poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal in Britain. Moscow informed the Chargé d'Affaires of the Italian embassy in Russia of the decision during a meeting on Friday, the Italian foreign ministry said in a statement. The Italian foreign ministry said the officials have been granted one week to leave Russia. The Russian embassy in Rome on Thursday reacted to Italy's expulsion of the two Russian diplomats by voicing "deep regret" and the hope a new government would support "constructive dialogue" with Russia.</s>The expulsion of two Russian diplomats from Italy is without a doubt an illegal move and can be abolished by the newly appointed Italian Council of Ministers, political analyst Dr. Maurizio Marrone told Sputnik.

Marrone explained that such steps can't be taken by an outgoing government because it is allowed to only deal with the remaining "current issues." Thus, demonstrating the government's incompetence, the expert argued.

The country's constitution states that the outgoing government is an "exclusively administrative" body, and no longer has political power. Thus, it is difficult to justify its decision to expel Russian diplomats which has led to the deterioration of diplomatic relations between Rome and Moscow, Marrone argued.

The scholar also stressed that since the 1980s, Italian prime ministers have adhered to this rule, which once again was confirmed in 2008 by Italy's former Prime Minister Romano Prodi, who left his post saying that "the government has to resolve the issues remaining on the agenda and fulfill the tasks set by the Parliament."

Over 25 countries, including the United States, Canada, Germany and other EU states have recently expelled Russian diplomats as a sign of solidarity with the United Kingdom, citing Moscow's alleged involvement in the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal that took place in the UK town of Salisbury on March 4.

READ MORE: Kremlin Disagrees With US Claims That Russia is Waging 'Diplomatic War'

Skripal, a former Russian spy who also worked for UK intelligence, and his daughter Yulia have been hospitalized since early March due to exposure to what British experts say is the A-234 nerve agent. UK Prime Minister Theresa May has accused Russia of orchestrating the attack and subsequently expelled 23 Russian diplomats. The European Union has expressed its solidarity with the United Kingdom on the matter.

Russia has strongly rejected the accusations levied at it and offered to assist in the investigation. However, Moscow's request for samples of the chemical substance used to poison the Skripals was rejected. In response, Moscow expelled UK diplomats and ordered the British Council to cease its activities in Russia.</s>Russian diplomats expelled by the US after a nerve agent attack on a former spy, leave their embassy in Washington, D.C, March 31, 2018. Photo: ZACH GIBSON / AFP

WASHINGTON – Russian diplomats expelled by the US after a nerve agent attack on a former spy in Britain began to leave their embassy in Washington Saturday afternoon, waved off by well-wishers.

About 50 men, women and children left the hilltop embassy just after 1:00 pm (1700 GMT) in a blue bus believed to be headed towards Dulles International Airport.

A second bus was expected to leave about two hours later from the embassy site which has a view across to the White House, the Pentagon and other US government buildings.

The departing families brought with them bags and suitcases, some of which were loaded onto the bus with help from a small forklift vehicle.

Russia's ambassador to the US, Anatoly Antonov, earlier told reporters "all the diplomats who were declared persona non grata are flying home together with their families" on Saturday.

In total, 171 people will leave the country, state news agency TASS reported Antonov as saying.

The Russian government provided two planes for the evacuation and one of them will make a brief stopover in New York to collect 14 families, he added.

Washington this week joined a score of Britain's allies in expelling Russian diplomats in response to the attack, with over 150 in total now ordered out of the US, EU members, NATO countries and other nations.

The US said it was expelling 60 alleged Russian "spies" posted around the country and at the Russian mission to the United Nations.

Russia's consulate in Seattle will also be closed.

Moscow responded on Thursday by announcing that it was expelling 60 US diplomats and closing Washington's consulate in Saint Petersburg.

On Friday, Russia expelled even more diplomats from 23 countries, most of them European Union member states.

The tit-for-tat measures were retaliation to the coordinated expulsion of Russian diplomats by Britain and its allies over a nerve agent attack against former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the English city of Salisbury on March 4.

Britain has said it is "highly likely" that Russia was responsible for the attack using the Novichok nerve agent developed in the former Soviet Union, but Russia has angrily denied any involvement.</s>More expelled diplomats arrive in Moscow as Williamson warns of 'new era of warfare'

More expelled diplomats arrive in Moscow as Williamson warns of 'new era of warfare'

Russian diplomats and their family members from the US arrived in Moscow on Sunday

The first plane carrying Russian diplomats expelled from the US has landed in Moscow as the Defence Secretary warned the world had "entered a new era of warfare".

Gavin Williamson said if there was ever any doubt over the threat posed by Moscow "we only have to look at events in Salisbury, where our Armed Forces, including the RAF, have been responding to a cold-blooded chemical attack".

The UK has expelled 23 Russian diplomats in the wake of the poisoning of Mr Skripal, 66, and his daughter. A number of other countries followed suit, including America, Canada, Australia and more than a dozen EU nations.

Image: A minibus allegedly transporting expelled Russian diplomats

Theresa May has said it is "highly likely" Russia was involved in the attack which targeted former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia with Russian-made nerve agent group novichok.

Moscow has denied any involvement in the case, which has caused a standoff between Britain and Russia.

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Mr Williamson said the Kremlin's response has been to "unleash a tidal wave of smears, lies and mockery".

Image: A number of other countries have also expelled Russian diplomats

The Defence Secretary, writing in the Sunday Telegraph to mark 100 years since the formation of the Royal Air Force, highlighted the conflicts in countries such as Yemen, Syria and North Korea, saying the world was becoming a "darker, more dangerous place".

"Then there is President Putin," he said.

Image: Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were poisoned in Salisbury

"He is using more hybrid capabilities to subvert, undermine, and influence countries around the world. We have entered a new era of warfare".

He added: "It's vital for UK defence to keep evolving to meet the threats of tomorrow to keep our country safe and protect the hard-earned freedoms and way of life we enjoy today."

Mr Williamson called the attack on British soil "illegal and contemptuous", saying it endangered innocent lives.

He had previously told Russia it should "go away and shut up".

Defence Secretary: 'Russia should shut up'

The poisoning on 4 March sparked a global diplomatic spat. More than 100 Russian diplomats have been expelled by Western countries, including 23 from Britain.

Russia had already retaliated in kind by ejecting 23 British diplomats, and the Russian embassy in London published a list of 14 questions over the case.

Mr Skripal and his daughter were found slumped on a bench after being poisoned.

VR reconstruction of Russia spy's movements

Shop owners in Salisbury have said they are struggling in the wake of the attack which happened a month ago, with business down 90%.
An Ilyushin Il-76 jet carrying Russian diplomats and their families who were expelled from the United States as a reaction to the poisoning arrives at Moscow's Vnukovo Airport.