Norway declares 15 Russian diplomats persona non grata

Norway expels 15 employees of the Russian embassy from the country, they are declared persona non grata. About it informs Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom.

According to Norwegian Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeld, the diplomats are allegedly intelligence officers and are engaged in “activities incompatible with their status.” The department added that they worked in Norway “under the guise of diplomatic activities.”

Employees of the Russian embassy, ​​declared persona non grata, must leave the kingdom “in the near future.” The date was not specified in the Norwegian Foreign Ministry’s statement.

The agency notes that the government’s decision is related to the “changed security situation in Europe.” The Norwegian authorities pointed to the “increasing threat from Russian intelligence.” Huitfeld noted that the decision to expel the diplomats would be an important step in countering this and protecting the country’s national interests.

At the same time, she added, Russian diplomats are welcome in the kingdom and the country seeks to maintain “normal diplomatic relations” with Russia. However, the use of diplomatic missions for the purpose of carrying out “covert intelligence activities” is unacceptable, Huitfeld stressed.

In April 2022, Norway announced the expulsion of three Russian diplomats from the country. The Foreign Ministry statement also noted that their activities “are not compatible with their diplomatic status.” Then Huitfeld linked the decision to recognize the diplomats as persona non grata with the situation around Bucha in the Kyiv region. Commenting on reports of alleged involvement in the murder of civilians by the Russian military, the authorities of the Russian Federation called publications as a provocation and announced the staging of Ukraine and the West.