The United States announced on Monday the expulsion of 60 Russian diplomats accused of espionage and the closure of the Russian Consulate in Seattle, as part of a measure coordinated with other Western countries due to the chemical attack that occurred earlier this month against former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the United Kingdom.
In an official note, the White House reported that the action was adopted in conjunction with our NATO allies. This Monday, 14 countries of the European Union also expelled Russian officials.
President Donald Trump “ordered the expulsion of dozens of Russian intelligence officers from the United States and the closure of the Russian consulate in Seattle, as a result of its proximity to one of our submarine bases and the headquarters of Boeing,” explained the note.
Following the decision, 48 well-known intelligence agents in Seattle and 12 other diplomats accredited to the UN will now have a seven-day period to leave the US territory.
A White House official told reporters that there will still be about 40 intelligence officers from Russia in the country, but that Moscow’s ability to get information will be significantly affected.
In the official note, the White House said that Washington is willing to cooperate with Moscow to build better relations, but noted that this will only be possible with a change of attitude of the government of Russia.
Washington waited several days to take a position on that incident but finally aligned itself firmly with London in condemning Russia for the attack.