Germany announced on Monday April 4 that it had decided to expel “a large number” of Russian diplomats stationed in Berlin, in connection with the war in Ukraine. France will expel 35 Russian diplomats “whose activities are contrary to (its) interests”.
As the war in Ukraine has reached a turning point with the discovery of hundreds of dead civilians in towns recently evacuated by Russian troops, Western capitals are taking new action against Moscow. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock thus announced on Monday the forthcoming expulsion of a ” high number by Russian diplomats stationed in Berlin, in connection with the war in Ukraine. According to information obtained by Agence France-Presse, their number is 40.
The head of diplomacy stressed that these employees of the Russian embassy constitute “ a threat to those who seek protection with us “. Germany is hosting more than 300,000 Ukrainian refugees who have fled the fighting in their country since February 24. This deportation unfriendly ” goes ” deteriorate » relations with Moscow, reacted Russia.
Hand in hand with Berlin since the rise of tensions in Ukraine, Paris has indicated that it is preparing to do the same. France plans to expel 35 Russian diplomats whose activities are contrary to (his) interests “, learned AFP from a source close to the Quai d’Orsay. ” This action is part of a European approach “Explains a press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. ” Our first responsibility is always to ensure the safety of French people and Europeans “, specifies this text.
Lithuania, for its part, has announced that it will expel the Russian ambassador. ” In response to Russia’s military aggression against sovereign Ukraine and the atrocities committed by Russian armed forces in various occupied Ukrainian cities, including the horrific Bucha massacre, the Lithuanian government decided to reduce diplomatic representation and the ambassador of the Russian Federation will have to leave Lithuania “, thus declared to the press the head of the Lithuanian diplomacy Gabrielius Landsbergis.
This decision by Lithuania is not the first, reminds our correspondent, Marielle Vitureau. In reaction to the war in Ukraine, four employees of the Russian embassy were expelled in mid-March for activities incompatible with diplomatic status. In other words, they were spying. The Russian consulate in Klaipeda, on the Baltic coast, must also close.
New American and European sanctions
The United States and its allies want to announce “ this week more economic sanctions against Russia, while Ukraine will receive more military assistance, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Monday.
While the Ukrainian foreign minister has called for a total energy embargo from the G7, the senior adviser to the American president indicated that the discussions between Westerners at the moment relate in particular to possible measures “ related to energy “, a very sensitive subject for Europeans, who are very dependent on Russian gas.
Russia provides Europe with 40% of its natural gas needs and 30% for oil. Jake Sullivan insisted on the search for ” consensus with the European Union, which for its part is discussing emergency “new sanctions against Moscow, demanded in particular by France and Germany.
There is talk of closing several ports to Russian ships or goods and of disconnect all Russian banks from the international financial platform Swift. For now, only seven banks are concerned.
But several voices are raised to demand this embargo, which could extend to Russian coal. Italy has called for it in particular and Lithuania, whose Minister for Foreign Affairs recalled that his country was the first to stop the import of Russian gascalled on European countries to stop being complicit in this war and to cut off supplies.
According to our colleagues from Financial Times, several member states have also called for more restrictions on Russian exports and individual measures against people close to Vladimir Putin.
Suspension of EBRD financing in Russia and Belarus
Russia and Belarus will also be deprived of funding from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) with immediate effect, the institution announced on Monday. The EBRD is therefore suspending all new funding for cooperation projects or activities with Russia and Belarus and is in the process of closing its offices in Moscow and Minsk. It also reserves the right to cancel all the funds allocated to ongoing projects, knowing that they represent approximately one and a half billion euros in these two countries.
The EBRD was founded 31 years ago to help countries of the former Soviet bloc transition to a market economy. It has since extended its activities to countries in the Middle East and North Africa. The Bank, which predicts a 20% fall in Ukraine’s economy, intends to pay two billion euros in aid to Ukraine and to the countries in the region affected by the refugee crisis. It will also participate in the reconstruction of the country, when the situation is more stable. Last week, she warned that the war would cause a global ” biggest supply shock since at least the early 1970s “.
Takeover of the German subsidiary of Gazprom
The German state has meanwhile announced that it will take temporary control of the German subsidiary of the Russian giant Gazprom, because of its ” importance for supply in energy from Germany. The federal network agency will thus become, until September 30, the administrator of ” Gazprom Germania of which Gazprom was the sole owner.
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” The government is doing what is necessary to ensure security of supply in Germany, and this includes not exposing energy infrastructure to arbitrary decisions by the Kremlin “, explained the German Minister of Economy, Robert Habeck, during a press conference. “ The voting rights of the owners of Gazprom Germania are transferred to the Federal Network Agency which can take all the decisions necessary to guarantee supply “, detailed the minister.
(And with AFP)