8 Russian officials expelled from NATO headquarters; Russia warns to retaliate soon

Brussels/Moscow: – NATO expelled 8 Russian diplomatic officials from its headquarters and accused them of espionage. NATO Chief Jens Stoltenberg criticised that NATO-Russia relations have deteriorated further. Maria Zakharova, the spokesperson of the Russian foreign ministry, warned that Russia would avenge this expulsion by NATO.

A leading British news channel revealed this action against Russian diplomats in the NATO headquarters. The British news channel accused, quoting sources in the NATO headquarters, that these Russian diplomats were running an espionage network and were supplying sensitive information from the NATO headquarters to a Russian intelligence agency. The news channel claimed that some of these diplomats have even been accused of murder.

While speaking to the media, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg accused these Russian diplomats involved in dangerous activities. Stoltenberg also announced that the number of Russian diplomats in the NATO headquarters has been reduced from 20 to 10. Stoltenberg criticised that the relations between NATO and Russia have deteriorated to this level for the first time since the Cold War era, owing to inappropriate Russian behaviour. Russia reacted to the action taken by NATO. Maria Zakharova, the spokesperson of the Russian foreign ministry, warned that it has become clear that NATO is unwilling to resolve the issues through cooperation. Russia is evaluating the retaliatory actions and they will soon be implemented. The nature of Russian action is still not clear. But the United States is also contemplating expelling hundreds of Russian diplomats and published reports that the Biden administration has received such demands.