INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
EU countries Belgium, the Netherlands, Ireland and the Czech Republic on Tuesday announced the expulsion of dozens of Russian diplomats
suspected of spying, in coordinated action taken in the shadow of Moscow's war in Ukraine.Belgian Foreign Minister Sophie Wilmes said her
the move was made in conjunction with the neighboring Netherlands, whose foreign ministry said it was expelling 17 Russian diplomats
considered "secretly active" as intelligence officers.Ireland's Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said four "senior officials" from Russia's
embassy in Dublin had been told to leave for engaging in activities "not..
in accordance with international standards of diplomatic behavior" -- code for spying.And the Czech foreign ministry said that one diplomat
in the Russian embassy in Prague had been given 72 hours to leave
A Czech official told AFP the diplomat was Russia's deputy ambassador."Together with our Allies, we are reducing the Russian intelligence
presence in the EU," the Czech ministry tweeted.The EU countries were bracing for Russia to retaliate by ordering out some of their own
diplomats.The expulsions announced Tuesday ratcheted up Western blows directed at Russia following its Feb
considers all EU countries, along with the United States and allies including Japan, Britain and Australia, to be "hostile" countries.In the
wake of Russia's invasion, the United States in early March kicked out 12 Russian diplomats based in New York it deemed to be
"intelligence operatives."Russia retaliated last week by handing the United States a list of American diplomats declared "persona non
grata."Poland, an EU country neighboring Ukraine, last week expelled 45 Russian diplomats over alleged espionage, prompting Moscow to accuse
Warsaw of embarking on "a dangerous escalation."In April last year, the Czech Republic expelled dozens of Russian diplomats and Russia
retaliated in a tit-for-tat move
two people in 2014.Russia was left virtually isolated in the United Nations' General Assembly on March 2 this year when an overwhelming
majority of countries -- 141 in total -- voted to adopt a non-binding resolution demanding a halt to Moscow's war in Ukraine.Just five
countries voted against the resolution: Russia, Syria, North Korea, Belarus and Eritrea
Another 35 abstained, including China.Two days later, on March 4, the UN Human Rights Council voted to trigger an investigation into
violations committed in the war in Ukraine
Thirty-two of the council's 47 members voted in favor, with just Russia and Eritrea voting against.Two weeks ago, Russia announced it was
quitting another international rights forum, the Council of Europe -- just before the pan-European body based in Strasbourg said it was
