Politics
14:19, 11-Jul-2018
Greece to 'expel' two Russian diplomats on security grounds
Updated
14:19, 14-Jul-2018
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The Greek government has reportedly decided to expel two Russian diplomats and ban entry into the country of another two.
Russian Embassy official Victor Yakovlev is one of the two personnel facing immediate expulsion.
The four diplomats are accused of intrusion into Greece's domestic affairs and illegal acts against the country's national security, local media reported.
More specifically, Athens is accusing the Russian diplomats of efforts to extract and circulate information, and to bribe Greek state operatives, which have failed.
The case brings to the forefront the tension that seems to have been brewing between Athens and Moscow over the last two years, for reasons that have to do with regional security.
Britain and its allies blamed Russia for the attack on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in March, prompting a major Western expulsion of Russian diplomats. Moscow rejected the accusations and hit back by expelling Western diplomats.
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