The U.S. Expelled 60 Russian Diplomats Today Following Allegations That Russia Was Involved In The Poisoning Death Of A Former Spy

On Monday, the United States announced the expulsion of 60 Russian diplomats, CBS News reports.This means that these diplomats have one week to leave the United States, and that the Russian consulate in Seattle will close.

Why are these diplomats expelled? The story begins on March 14, when Sergei Skripal, a former Russian double agent, and his daughter, Yulia, were poisoned with a Russian-made nerve agent on British soil. According to USA Today, “the United States joined a joint statement with the U.K., France, and Germany blaming Russia for the Skripal attack.” Russia, however, denied any involvement.

In response, several countries across the world expelled their Russian diplomats, in what British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson called “the largest collective expulsion of Russian intelligence officers ever.” The United States, Britain, Canada, Ukraine, Germany, France, and Poland are among the over a dozen countries that have expelled their diplomats.

The White House released a statement Monday morning stating, “Today’s actions make the United States safer by reducing Russia’s ability to spy on Americans and to conduct covert operations that threaten America’s national security.”