BBC reports that after deporting 60 US diplomats from its territory, Russia deports diplomats from the EU and several other countries, who earlier had taken such a step themselves connected with the poisoning case of Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Britain.
On Friday, Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the ambassadors of the countries, which have deported Russian diplomats from their countries. The Ministry expressed its dissatisfaction and informed about their decision to take retaliatory steps.
In particular, Russia deported 4 Polish, 3 Lithuanian, 2 Italian, 2 Dutch, 1 Latvian, 1 Estonian and 1 Finnish diplomats.
The deportation of diplomats does not imply a reduction in the total number of diplomatic missions: those declared persona non grata can be replaced with others. The demand for staff reduction has been imposed only on the United Kingdom.