Germany expels Russian diplomat

Moscow has vowed to retaliate in kind after Berlin accused one of its diplomats of being a spy and sent him home

Berlin has expelled a Russian diplomat over alleged espionage activities, prompting Moscow to pledge an “appropriate” response to the hostile move.  

The German Foreign Ministry announced the move on Thursday, stating it summoned the Russian envoy over the incident. While the ministry did not elaborate, German media reported that a deputy Russian military attaché was the diplomat in question and that he was ordered to leave the country within 72 hours.  

“We do not accept espionage in Germany – and particularly not under the cover of diplomatic status. We summoned the Russian Ambassador to the Federal Foreign Office today and informed him that the individual who spied on behalf of Russia is to be expelled,” the ministry said in a statement.

Moscow has vowed to retaliate for the expulsion without providing any detail of the potential move. Usually, Russia opts for a mirror response and expels the same number of diplomatic personnel as a foreign nation that took the hostile move in the first place. 

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“Russia will give an appropriate response,” the ministry told RIA Novosti.

Earlier this month, Moscow expelled a British diplomatic staff member who was accused by the Federal Security Service (FSB) of working for UK intelligence. At the time, the Russian Foreign Ministry issued the UK a formal protest and demanded the suspected spy leave the country within two weeks.  

Russia has had strained relations with many Western nations in recent years, marked by numerous spy scandals and mutual expulsions of diplomatic staff. The latest incident between Moscow and Berlin comes days after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz signaled a shift away from his longstanding position of refusing any dialogue with Russia. In an apparent change of stance, Merz called for a renewal of diplomatic engagement with Moscow, suggesting the EU would do well to “find a balance again with our largest European neighbor.”