Early Monday, the US announced a surprise series of expulsions described by Ambassador Jon Huntsman as the largest in history. The expulsions are just the latest sign of worsening diplomatic relations and a growing new Cold War.
Such a big move virtually obligates Russia to retaliate, and the Kremlin says President Putin will be deciding the specifics of the retaliation, for both expelled officials and a closed consulate in the US, shortly.
Russian Senator Vladimir Dzhabarov, a high-ranking member of the International Affairs Committee, says that he’s been told that the retaliation will include the expulsion of at least 60 staff from American diplomatic missions across Russia.
In addition to the US moves, nominally retaliation for a poisoning of a former spy in Salisbury, 18 EU nations (see below) also took action against Russia diplomatically. Canada was among the first non-EU nation to join in on the action, and now 25 Western nations are expelling Russians. Two EU nations, Austria and Slovakia, have both been public in that they’re definitely not going to expel any Russians.
While Britain has been insistent on Russia being behind the poisoning, there is as yet no proof to back this up. There is testing ongoing on the substance used which may offer some clues, but results aren’t expected for at least 2-3 more weeks.
That means these new moves are being done entirely on the assumption that Russia will be implicated. Eagerness to keep ratcheting up tensions with Russia, however, seem to be driving such measures irrespective of evidence, and with little worry about the consequences if they are wrong.
Expulsions:
Albania – 2
Australia – 2
Belgium – 1
Canada – 4
Croatia – 1
Czech Republic – 3
Denmark – 2
Estonia – 1
Finland – 1
France – 4
Germany – 4
Hungary – 1
Ireland – 1
Italy – 2
Latvia – 1
Lithuania – 3
Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia– 1
Moldova – 3
Netherlands – 2
Norway – 1
Poland – 4
Romania – 1
Spain – 2
Sweden – 1
Ukraine – 13
United States – 60
The Ru.ss first mistake was showing guts in Suria.
The Ru.ss second mistake was to have the Nord stream pipeline 2 connected directly from the motherland to the fatherland.
The Ru.ss final mistake was showing simulation of modern new weapons destroying CGI Floridia.
Time to break off diplomatic relations with Amerikastan.
Brilliant move….now what?
Feeling a bit awkward all of a sudden?
America’s pumping almost 300 million in its new hypersonic missile program that’s been in development for some time now.New launch sites in Germany show that America is planning on a ballistic test which will more than likely be coordinated with the European countries. It seems America’s military budget and those of its allies will be focused on a new nuclear arsenal. I could envision a multi nuclear arsenal that’s controlled by NATO in which Russia would have to attack not only America but,Europe aswell in order to prevent a retaliatory strike on its country. Either way Russia would be up against the world relying on China to come to its rescue but,that’s not a sure thing. If Putin wanted the world’s attention he gots it now and they’re laser focused on a way to remind you exactly what you’re up against .
What would 300 million buy? That wouldn’t pay for two F-35s.
It’s enough to pay for the launch process of this newly acquired nuclear device. Test phase will be conducted very soon in NATO ally Germany.
Look again at what the Russian have, and they have brains and commonsense missing from NATO.
Project Eagle it’s been in development hypersonic missiles that are re-integrated back into earths atmosphere traveling at speeds no sensors can track in time to defend against. The sequester during Obama’s tenure paid for the project,test phase coming soon. Why do you think they privatized space and used that money on mini nuclear cluster bombs andProject Eagle. Mutual destruction…Boom!!!
Did you read/see his speech? I think those in the USA who have any knowledge realize they are not in a good position to keep threatening Russia.
Russia done a casus belli [aggression of a country against another country makes it the war case] and one of the meanest-dishonest-ever-29-nation-gang ONLY expels a few of the aggressor’s people.
So, the nation-gang scared to properly defend their citizens?
“While Britain has been insistent on Russia being behind the poisoning, there is as yet no proof to back this up.”
That is a real problem. The bandwagon of blame before proof is also a real problem. It is warmongering run wild, with the help of domestic partisanship that would rather rant on Putin than make sense or have proof.
This keeps happening. I just looked up the Nemysov case of 2015-all the Western media assumed Putin had assassinated this wonderful fellow. Even all the nine Russian diplomats killed/died since Trump’s election were written up as if Putin had personally killed them all.
Same with the sporting/doping condemnations, using evidence from Russian traitors as with Rodchenko and the McLaren report.
The Russians had six years to feed him through a mincer, why wait eight years?
Russia hosts the soccer world cup in 78 days, why do him in now?
Skripal was a traitor who shafted hundreds of his colleagues. There must be a queue around the block of suspects.
He was also chums with Hilary’s Russia – gate dossier author.
Russia should expel ALL 60 diplomats from America and ignore the little pip squeak puppet regimes. Let the world know they know who exactly is to blame for the second Cold War.
This really is like a stupid game for unruly children except for the serious consequences.
btw “nominally retaliation for a poisoning of a former spy in Salisbury” even gives the idea it is correct.
Imagine a murder trial “He has probably done it”
“There is nobody else who could have done it”
Now we condemn him as guilty.
This is from the alleged democracies of this world, ignoring the slightest hint of due process, of even notifying the accused of what the alleged substance is (give them some- all the Russian chemical weapons have been destroyed by the OPCW). When this “investigation” is over, what if the finding is that US/UK/Israeli were involved-will we be informed??? Who would be brave enough to speak out? All of those three have CWs and reasons to discredit Russia with what to normal observers is an obvious false flag.