Russia expelled 40 German diplomats In Tit-for-Tat move
Russia expelled 40 German diplomats In Tit-for-Tat move
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MOSCOW: In retaliation for Berlin's expulsion of the same number of Russian diplomats, Russia's foreign ministry declared 40 German diplomatic staff "personae non-gratae" on Monday.

Russia's foreign ministry said in a statement that it made the decision after Germany declared a "substantial number" of Russian embassy staff in Berlin "undesirable" on April 4.

Expelled Russians, according to German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, never did any diplomacy while in Germany, but instead "systematically campaigned against our freedom and the cohesion of our society."

In contrast, she said in a statement that the expelled German ambassadors had worked hard to improve bilateral relations amid challenging conditions, adding that the announcement had been expected.

Following claims of mass graves and civilian executions in the Ukrainian town of Bucha during the Russian occupation, Germany was one of several European countries to remove Russian ambassadors.

On February 24, Russia launched tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in a "special operation" to undermine its military capabilities and drive out "dangerous nationalists."  Ukraine's soldiers have resisted, and the West has slapped Russia with sweeping sanctions in an attempt to force it to remove its men.

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