The President Joe Biden-led government of the United States of America has sent twelve Russian United Nations diplomats out of the country.
This is coming following the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian army, Bibian Anekwe News understands.
The cold war between the two European nations has heightened in the last few days and efforts by stakeholders to restore peace is yet to provide a positive result.
Hundreds of people, including women and children, have been killed in the war which started last week Thursday.
However, the US said the Russian diplomats were sent home for allegedly engaging in “activities that were not by their responsibilities and obligations as diplomats.”
The Deputy Representative of the United States to the UN, Ambassador Richard Mills, said this during a UN Security Council meeting, Monday afternoon, Bibian Anekwe News understands.
Meanwhile, Russian Ambassador to the U.N, Vassily Nebenzia, countered Mills’ explanation, saying it was “not satisfactory.”
The US Mission to the UN also confirmed in a statement that the 12 Russian diplomats were “intelligence operatives.”
He stressed that the diplomats have abused their privileges of residency in the United States by engaging in “espionage activities that are adverse to our national security.”
“We are taking this action by the headquarters agreement. Today’s action has been in the works for several months,” US Mission spokesperson Olivia Daltoitsid.
Bibian Anekwe News understands that over 15 nations of the world including the US, have offered help to Ukraine, turning its back on Russia after forcefully invading the sister nation.
The Western countries have landed heavily on Russia with several sanctions over President Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade neighbouring Ukraine.
Bibian Anekwe News
