Moscow has asked four Austrian diplomats to leave Russia in retaliation for the expulsion earlier this month of four Russian diplomats from Vienna.
Austria had accused Russian diplomats of espionage and on Friday Chancellor Karl Nehammer defended their expulsion on February 2. He said Austria would not idly watch “as espionage occurs in our country and hospitality is abused”.
AUSTRIAN GOVERNMENT ORDERS 4 RUSSIAN DIPLOMATS TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY
In announcing the expulsion of Austrian diplomats on Thursday, the Russian Foreign Ministry called Austria’s previous act “hostile and unreasonable”, questioning Austria’s “previous positioning as an impartial and neutral state”.
Russia has expelled four Austrian diplomats in retaliation for Vienna having recently done the same to its Russian diplomats.
Nehammer rejected the claim that Austria is no longer neutral.
Western European nations and Russia have expelled their respective diplomats on several occasions following the Russian military operation in Ukraine that began nearly a year ago. Austria, a member of the European Union that has a policy of military neutrality, was initially reluctant to take such action, but expelled four Russian diplomats in April after pressure from the public and from EU partners.
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Russian diplomats had been given a week to leave Austria. Russia has said Austrian diplomats have until Feb. 23.
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Moscow also said Vienna was making it difficult for Russian officials to obtain visas, “which contradicts Austria’s obligations as a venue for international meetings”.
