U.S. and EU nations expel Russian diplomats

The United States on Monday expelled 60 Russian diplomats and ordered the closure of the Russian Consulate in Seattle amid the ongoing furor over the attack on an ex-spy earlier this month in Britain. Several European nations took similar measures to express displeasure over the Russian government’s alleged involvement in the incident. On March 4, British police found ex-Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia unconscious on a public bench in Salisbury. Officials later determined an assassin targeted the pair with a nerve agent developed in Russia. The Kremlin has denied any involvement in the attack. The Trump administration gave Russian diplomats seven days to leave the country. It opted to close the consulate in Seattle because its proximity to a U.S. Navy base makes it a counterintelligence concern. White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the measures will help protect U.S. national security. “With these steps, the United States and our allies and partners make clear to Russia that its actions have consequences,” Sanders said. European Union chief Donald Tusk on Monday said 14 member nations will similarly expel Russian diplomatic staff over the nerve agent attack. Ukraine announced it will expel 13 diplomats. Other nations include Poland, Lithuania, and Germany. British Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson told reporters the world’s patience with Russia has worn thin, adding the widespread diplomatic expulsions offer “the very best response that we could have.”