Navalni Incident Leading to Diplomatic Conflict… Russian diplomats, such as Germany and Sweden

When Russia expelled diplomats from Germany, Sweden, and Poland, the three countries side by side “expelled” Russian diplomats.

Russia took retaliatory measures when diplomats from three countries ordered deportation, claiming that they had participated in illegal protests calling for the release of Russian opposition activist Alexey Navalni. It seems that the level of conflict between Russia and European countries is increasing over Navalni.

On the 8th (local time), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Germany announced that it had designated one employee of the Russian Embassy in Berlin as’Persona Non Grata’ (diplomatic evasive person). It is customary to summon the diplomat or deprive him of his diplomatic post if he or she is notified of a person who has not been diplomatic.

Sweden’s Foreign Minister An Linde also said on the same day that “I informed the Russian ambassador to have one member of the embassy leave Sweden.” The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs also revealed that it had deported Russian diplomats in response to the deportation of their own diplomats.

Earlier on the 5th, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs designated German, Swedish, and Polish diplomats as’diplomatic evasive figures’ and issued an order of deportation.

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, “I called the Swedish ambassador, the Polish ambassador, and the German public corporation to protest against the participation of diplomats belonging to the consulate general and the embassy on the 23rd of last month” “This behavior is unacceptable and does not correspond to the status of a diplomat,” he asked them to leave Russia as soon as possible.

Accordingly, the three countries protested, saying that diplomats collected information in the field in a legitimate way according to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

The 5th was the day when Josef Borel, senior head of the European Union’s foreign affairs and security policy, discussed the Navalni issue with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. “The Russian government should free Navalni and transparently investigate allegations of attempted poisoning,” said Borel.

However, Secretary Ravrov confronted that “we cannot accept the EU’s intervening demands.”

According to the Russian state-run TAs news agency, after returning to Brussels, Belgium on the 7th, Mr. Borrell said, “The results of this visit show that Russia is not interested in improving relations with the EU.”

He also pressed on Russia by discussing sanctions cards. “We will discuss this issue at a meeting of EU foreign ministers (scheduled on the 22nd),” said Borrell. “The decision of the member states may include Russian sanctions.”

President Vladimir Putin’s static Navalni was sentenced to probation in 2014.He was tried on charges of failing to fulfill his obligations and was sentenced to three years and six months in prison on the 2nd.

In response, Navalni said it was “Putin’s personal political retaliation.” Navalni also criticized Putin head-on: “No matter how much he tries to portray himself as a great world leader, he will be recorded in history as a poison assassin.”

Since then, Western countries such as the United States and the European Union (EU) have stepped forward to demand Navalni’s release. In Russia, protests demanded the release of Navalni, and more than 5,000 people were arrested by the police.

Earlier, in August of last year, Navalni was in a coma while showing signs of poisoning poisoning while traveling on a Russian domestic flight. Later, he was taken to a German hospital, where he was treated and conscious.

Navalni alleges that a poison team belonging to the Russian Federal Security Agency (FSB), a Russian intelligence agency, tried to assassinate him, and pointed out that President Putin was behind the assassination order.

Reporter Seo Yujin [email protected]