Ukraine to ban entry to Russian diplomats expelled from the EU
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) intends to ban entry to all Russian diplomats who have been expelled from European Union countries, Chairperson of the SBU, Vasyl Hrytsak, told Interfax Ukraine.
“We always have people whom we could expel. Whether it will have an impact or not - we will have to wait and see.” Hrytsak said at a meeting on Tuesday in Odesa while responding to a question whether the expulsion of Russian diplomats will have an impact on a prisoner exchange process.
“We do not want to speculate about the prisoner exchange. Yes, we’ve expelled 13 diplomats. At the same time, I think, it was the right step,” Hrytsak said.
The SBU’s Chairperson reiterated that the U.S. sent away 60 Russian secret intelligence agents, while the U.K. expelled 23 Russian diplomats working as spies.
“We indeed banned entry to the 60 Russian secret agents expelled from the United States and 23 expelled from the United Kingdom… Moreover, we will ban entry to Ukraine for other Russian diplomats expelled from the European Union countries,” Hrytsak said.
As was earlier reported, more than 20 countries throughout the world decided to take action in connection with the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal by expelling over 140 Russian intelligence officers working under the guise of a diplomatic mission.
At the same time, some EU countries, loyalists of Russia, refused to expel employees of Russian diplomatic missions from territories.