03:41Lithuania: Russia to expel Lithuanian diplomats - Russian ambassador
Russian ambassador to Lithuania Aleksandr Udaltsov said Russia will expel Lithuanian diplomats as an answer to Lithuania expelling Russians, after leaving the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Vilnius on Monday.
Speaking of Lithuania expelling three Russian diplomats, including the military attache, Russian ambassador called the act "absolutely unreasonable, inconsiderate, and based on something unclear."
He added that the Lithuanian side had not provided any evidence confirming Russian diplomats "did something not corresponding to diplomacy."
Udaltsov emphasised that "the evidence does not exist," and added, "as I see, [we] will expel some people as well."
Commenting on the report the Lithuanian State Security Department released on Monday, Russian ambassador noted it aims to "prove it is necessary to increase [military] presence of NATO arms, it is necessary to deliver new equipment here."
Udaltsov described the procedure any Russian visiting the Russian embassy goes through after the visit. He said the person would then be called to the Lithuanian State Security Department and questioned, "You were in the embassy yesterday; you got in at 10.30 and went out at 11.15. Whom did you visit? What have you been told?"
Russian ambassador to Lithuania was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign affairs in Vilnius following the Skripal case.
Ex-Russian double agent Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, were found unconscious after a nerve agent attack in the English city of Salisbury on March 4. The former Russian military intelligence officer was convicted in Russia of supplying MI6 with Russian state secrets. Part way through his jail term, in 2010, he was involved in a spy swap and given refuge in the UK.
03:41Russian ambassador to Lithuania Aleksandr Udaltsov said Russia will expel Lithuanian diplomats as an answer to Lithuania expelling Russians, after leaving the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Vilnius on Monday.
Speaking of Lithuania expelling three Russian diplomats, including the military attache, Russian ambassador called the act "absolutely unreasonable, inconsiderate, and based on something unclear."
He added that the Lithuanian side had not provided any evidence confirming Russian diplomats "did something not corresponding to diplomacy."
Udaltsov emphasised that "the evidence does not exist," and added, "as I see, [we] will expel some people as well."
Commenting on the report the Lithuanian State Security Department released on Monday, Russian ambassador noted it aims to "prove it is necessary to increase [military] presence of NATO arms, it is necessary to deliver new equipment here."
Udaltsov described the procedure any Russian visiting the Russian embassy goes through after the visit. He said the person would then be called to the Lithuanian State Security Department and questioned, "You were in the embassy yesterday; you got in at 10.30 and went out at 11.15. Whom did you visit? What have you been told?"
Russian ambassador to Lithuania was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign affairs in Vilnius following the Skripal case.
Ex-Russian double agent Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, were found unconscious after a nerve agent attack in the English city of Salisbury on March 4. The former Russian military intelligence officer was convicted in Russia of supplying MI6 with Russian state secrets. Part way through his jail term, in 2010, he was involved in a spy swap and given refuge in the UK.