Ex-spy Sergei Skripal and Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has been blamed for the attack. AP/BBC Newsnight

More than 20 countries have expelled Russian diplomats in retaliation for the poisoning of ex-spy Sergei Skripal with nerve agent in Salisbury, southern England.

The nations joined Britain in blaming Russia for the attempted assassination on March 4, which was the first offensive use of nerve agent in Europe since World War II. Russia has repeatedly denied their involvement.

Here are all the countries that have expelled Russian officials over the attack:</s>In an unprecedented move, countries across the west have banished Russian diplomats in response to the Salisbury poison outrage.

Here is a list of the countries who have expelled diplomats.</s>Tensions between Russia and the Western international community deepened on Monday after the United States, European countries and their allies expelled dozens of Russian diplomats in the wake of a nerve attack on a former Russian agent earlier this month.

Ireland was not among the 16 EU countries that announced the expulsion of Russian representatives on Monday, but a decision will be taken by Cabinet on Tuesday morning, amid indications that at least one Russian citizen will be expelled.

The White House announced sweeping measures, including the expulsion of 60 Russian diplomats and the closing of the Russian consulate in Seattle, on Monday, the first in a co-ordinated wave of announcements across Europe yesterday. Canada and Ukraine also announced plans to expel Russian individuals.

In echoes of the Cold War, Moscow warned of retaliatory actions, describing the developments as a “provocative gesture”.

In a bellicose statement, the Russian foreign ministry warned: “We will react,” while the Russian ambassador to the US accused the country of “destroying whatever little is still left in Russia-US relations”, Russian news agencies reported.

Of the 60 diplomats expelled from the US, 48 are Washington-based while 12 work at the United Nations in New York. They have been given seven days to leave the country. The Russian consulate in Seattle will also be closed. Officials said they believe the consulate was a key site for Russian surveillance activities, due to its proximity to a US submarine site and Boeing facilities.

Briefing reporters on the surprise announcement, White House officials accused the diplomats of engaging in the “aggressive collection” of intelligence on American soil.

“With these steps, the United States and our allies and partners make clear to Russia that its actions have consequences,” the White House said in a statement.

Monday’s announcement by Washington represents the most significant move yet by the Trump administration to censure Russia, and follows US president Donald Trump’s reluctance since his inauguration to criticise the Russian government, who have been accused by US intelligence services of interfering in the US presidential election.

Announcing the decision, a senior administration official said the move had been “absolutely [Donald Trump’s ] decision”.

“It was a decision he was involved in from the beginning and that he personally made after several meetings last week with his team,” the official said.

Mr Trump spoke with Russian president Vladimir Putin last week to congratulate him on his election victory, in defiance of the advice of many of his advisers, given concerns about the credibility of the Russian election. Russian media reported that the two leaders discussed a possible summit during their phonecall.

Yesterday’s collective act of rebuke against Russia was taken in response to the poisoning of former intelligence official Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury in southern England on March 4th.

“Today’s extraordinary international response by our allies stands in history as the largest collective expulsion of Russian intelligence officers ever and will help defend our shared security,” British foreign secretary Boris Johnson tweeted. “Russia cannot break international rules with impunity.”</s>Australia is the latest to announce their solidarity with the UK over the chemical attack on Mr Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury on March 4 as Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced Canberra would be expelling two Russian diplomats. Australia joins 21 other countries including the USA, Germany, France, Poland and Ukraine in expelling the Russian envoys. Donald Trump on Monday said the US would expel 60 Russian diplomats and close its Russian consulate in Seattle. More than 100 Russian diplomats have been expelled across Europe, the US and other parts of the world in the biggest Western expulsion of Russian diplomats since the height of the Cold War.

Mr Turnbull announced in a statement: “Together with the United Kingdom and other allies and partners, Australia is taking action in response to the recent nerve agent attack in Salisbury, UK. "Two Russian diplomats identified as undeclared intelligence officers will be expelled by the Australian government for actions inconsistent with their status, pursuant to the Vienna Conventions." Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said other options, such as Australia boycotting the 2018 World Cup in Russia, could also be taken over the poisoning incident. Ms Bishop told reporters in Canberra: "There are a whole range of further options of action that could be taken, the boycott of the World Cup is one of the further actions that could be taken in relation to this matter.”

Yesterday White House spokeman Raj Shah said: “The poisoning in the UK that has kind of led to today's announcement was a very brazen action. It was a reckless action. “The President wants to work with the Russians but their actions sometimes don't allow that to happen." Meanwhile, Germany’s foreign office in Berlin in a statement said: “We have expelled four Russian diplomats from Germany because after the poison attack in Salisbury Russia is still not contributing to solving what happened." Germany's foreign minister Heiko Maas added: "We did not make the decision to expel the Russian diplomats lightly. "With this we are also sending a sign of solidarity to Great Britain.

“Russia remains required to finally fulfil its responsibility to take up a constructive role and fulfil its duty to provide clarification." Boris Johnson responded on Twitter saying that Monday's "extraordinary international response by our allies stands in history as the largest collective expulsion of Russian intelligence officers ever and will help defend our shared security". Moscow has denied responsibility for the March 4 attack on Mr Skripal and his daughter, the first known offensive use of a nerve toxin in Europe since World War Two. The Russian ambassador to Washington hit back at the US explosions saying America was destroying what little is left of relations with Russia.

And the Russian foreign ministry in a statement blasted the countries who had “provocatively” chosen to stand in solidarity with London. The ministry said: "This provocative gesture of notorious solidarity with London, made by countries that preferred to follow in London's footsteps without bothering to look into other circumstances of the incident, merely continues the policy of escalating the confrontation." A Russian foreign ministry source also said Russia will respond to the EU countries who have expelled Moscow diplomats “symmetrically in the coming days”, according to state media. Before yesterday’s announcement Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova launched a scathing attack on the EU over support for the “Brexit Britain” position that Moscow was “highly likely” behind the attack on Mr Skripal.</s>LONDON (AP) — The United States and many Western countries announced they were expelling a total of more than 130 Russian diplomats, in a show of solidarity with Britain over the nerve agent attack of a former Russian spy in England.

A look at the countries that have announced the measures, and the number of Russians they have ordered to leave:

— CANADA: Four Russians expelled; 3 applications for additional diplomatic staff being denied.

— GERMANY, FRANCE, POLAND: Four Russian diplomats expelled from each country.

— CZECH REPUBLIC, LITHUANIA: Three Russian diplomats expelled from each country.

— SPAIN, NETHERLANDS, DENMARK, ITALY, ALBANIA, AUSTRALIA: Two Russian diplomats expelled from each country.

— HUNGARY, SWEDEN, CROATIA, ROMANIA, FINLAND, ESTONIA: One Russian diplomat expelled from each country.

— LATVIA: One Russian diplomat expelled, plus one Russian representative of a Russian company blacklisted.</s>LONDON (AP) — The United States and many Western countries announced they were expelling a total of more than 130 Russian diplomats, in a show of solidarity with Britain over the nerve agent attack of a former Russian spy in England.

A look at the countries that have announced the measures, and the number of Russians they have ordered to leave:

— CANADA: Four Russians expelled; 3 applications for additional diplomatic staff being denied.

— GERMANY, FRANCE, POLAND: Four Russian diplomats expelled from each country.

— CZECH REPUBLIC, LITHUANIA: Three Russian diplomats expelled from each country.

— SPAIN, NETHERLANDS, DENMARK, ITALY, ALBANIA, AUSTRALIA: Two Russian diplomats expelled from each country.

— HUNGARY, SWEDEN, CROATIA, ROMANIA, FINLAND, ESTONIA: One Russian diplomat expelled from each country.

— LATVIA: One Russian diplomat expelled, plus one Russian representative of a Russian company blacklisted.</s>More than 100 Russian diplomats now expelled</s>The United States and more than a dozen European countries on Monday made coordinated announcements to expel Russian diplomats in a show ofsolidarity with Britain over the nerve agent attack of a former Russian spy in England.

A look at the countries that have announced the measures, and the number of Russians they have ordered to leave:

— CANADA: Four Russians expelled; 3 applications for additional diplomatic staff being denied.

— GERMANY, FRANCE, POLAND: Four Russian diplomats expelled from each country.

— CZECH REPUBLIC, LITHUANIA: Three Russian diplomats expelled from each country.

— NETHERLANDS, DENMARK, ITALY, ALBANIA: Two Russian diplomats expelled from each country.

— SWEDEN, CROATIA, ROMANIA, FINLAND, ESTONIA: One Russian diplomat expelled from each country.

— LATVIA: One Russian diplomat expelled, plus one Russian representative of a Russian company blacklisted.</s>US was expelling 48 envoys in Washington and 12 more at the UN in New York

As part of a coordinated global response to the poisoning of a former Russian spy in Salisbury, a host of countries have expelled over 100 Russian diplomats. The show of solidarity comes after the UK announced earlier this month that it was expelling 23 Russian diplomats. The Kremlin has vowed to retaliate against the “provocative gesture”, denying it had any role in the attack.

The US State Department announced that it was expelling 48 envoys at the Russian embassy in Washington along with another 12 at the UN in New York. Ukraine is expelling 13 Russian diplomats while Canada, France, Germany and Poland are all dismissing four.</s>MOSCOW — The Russian government has threatened retaliation over one of the largest mass expulsions of its diplomats in history, after more than 20 countries backed action by the United Kingdom over the poisoning of a former Russian spy in Salisbury.

According to Russian state media Tass, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the government “deeply regretted” the US’s decision to expel to their diplomats, and would analyze the situation before submitting a proposal for retaliatory action to Russian President Vladimir Putin to approve.

“We already stated and reconfirm that Russia has never had any relation to this (poisoning). We will be guided by the principle of reciprocity as before,” Peskov said.

The United States announced Monday it would be expelling 60 Russian diplomats and closing the consulate in Seattle, President Donald Trump’s toughest diplomatic move against Moscow since he took office in 2017.

When the Obama administration expelled 35 diplomats over Russian meddling in the 2016 election, the Russian government told the United States to cut its diplomatic staff inside Russia by 755.

Peskov told Tass the Foreign Ministry would submit possible retaliatory measures to President Vladimir Putin for consideration, saying any final decision would lie with the Russian leader.

In response to the latest expulsion of diplomats, Russia’s United Nations representative Vasily Nebenzia accused the United States of “abusing its rights and obligations” as the host of the UN General Assembly, according to Tass.

Nebenzia said the expulsion of diplomats by the United States would hamper Moscow’s efforts at the international body.

“Of course this is a blow to our mission, but I think we’ll mobilize,” Nebenzia told Tass.

Canada, Ukraine and member states of the European Union joined the United States in expelling more than 100 Russian diplomats on Monday.

British Prime Minister Theresa May called the worldwide backlash the “the largest collective expulsion of Russian intelligence officers in history.”

“We have no disagreement with the Russian people who have achieved so much through their country’s great history. But President Putin’s regime is carrying out acts of aggression against our shared values,” she said Monday.

The United Kingdom and Russia have been locked in a diplomatic fight since May’s government accused Moscow of organizing the poisoning of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal in the UK city of Salisbury.

Skripal and his daughter Yulia were both exposed to a potentially deadly nerve agent, according to British authorities, and remain in a critical condition in hospital.

“We assess that more than 130 people in Salisbury could have been potentially exposed to this nerve agent,” May said on Monday, adding the Skripals may never fully recover from the attack.

Russia has repeatedly and strongly denied it was involved in the Salisbury attack and has even suggested the United Kingdom itself could have been behind the poisoning.

As of Tuesday morning, 13 Russian diplomats were expelled from Ukraine, while Canada, Germany, France and Poland each expelled four.

More than a dozen other countries, including Australia, Italy and the Netherlands, have each expelled between one and three Russian diplomats or intelligence officers.

European Council President Donald Trusk wouldn’t rule out on Monday the possibility of further expulsions of diplomats in the days to come.

New Zealand said it would also expel Russian spies — if it had any.

“While other countries have announced they are expelling undeclared Russian intelligence agents, officials have advised there are no individuals here in New Zealand who fit this profile,” said Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in a statement Tuesday. “If there were, we would have already taken action.”

The European Council has joined the United Kingdom and the United States in saying the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter was almost certainly the work of the Russian government.

Senior Trump administration officials told CNN the decision to expel the diplomats wasn’t just taken in response to the attack, but also in protest to Russia’s “steady drumbeat of destabilizing actions.”

The mass expulsion comes less than a week after US President Trump called Putin to congratulate him on his re-election as President of Russia, against the recommendations of his advisers.

A handful of EU countries suggested they wouldn’t be following suit and expelling Russian diplomats, among them Austria and Portugal.

Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz tweeted that while he stood behind the European Council’s decision to recall the EU ambassador from Moscow, Austria wanted to be “bridge-builders between East and West and keep communication channels to Russia open.”

Similarly, Portugal expressed its “solidarity with the United Kingdom” over the Salisbury attack, though stopped short of expelling Russian diplomats in a statement.

Turkey also said it would not be taking action, with Deputy Prime Minister and government spokesman Bekir Bozdag telling reporters in Ankara on Monday: “There is a positive and good relation between Turkey and Russia.”

China, a key ally of Russia, has urged countries to “abandon a Cold War mentality.” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters Tuesday that “relevant countries” should “avoid taking any actions that would aggravate the conflict.”
More than 100 Russian diplomats are expelled from over 20 countries.