At the end of last year, Russia and France secretly expelled one employee from the embassies, Les Echos reports.
According to the newspaper, an employee of the economic department of the Russian Embassy in Paris was charged with espionage, he was expelled from the country. The Russian Federation responded in a mirror-like manner, expelling the diplomat from the economic department of the French embassy in Moscow.
The Russian Foreign Ministry and the French Embassy in Moscow refrained from commenting on the information provided.
The specialist, speaking with Les Echos, suggested that the fact of the expulsion of the diplomats was concealed so as not to complicate the already difficult relations between Russia and France.
Prior to that, the Russian Foreign Ministry explained that the diplomats of Sweden, Poland and Germany who had joined illegal actions in Russia were declared persona non grata and would leave the country in the near future. The foreign ministries of Germany, Poland and Sweden responded by declaring persona non grata one Russian diplomat in each state, respectively.
In the cities of Russia on January 23, January 31 and February 2, uncoordinated actions took place. They were held despite numerous warnings from the authorities that the organizers did not have permits to hold such events and the danger of COVID-19 infection on them. Some of the participants in illegal actions were prosecuted for various criminal and administrative offenses committed during the actions.
Earlier, it was reported that the Russian Foreign Ministry promised to “please” the United States with retaliatory sanctions.