Norway’s government on Thursday announced the expulsion of 15 Russian diplomats from the country, deeming them “spies” as they are suspected of “gathering information” through the Russian embassy in Oslo.
In a statement, Norwegian Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt stressed that this was an “important decision to combat the activities of the Russian secret services in Norway and reduce the scope for the activities of the Russian secret services in Norway”. and to protect the country’s interests.
Huitfeldt added that the activities of Russians stated as persona non grata are “incompatible with their diplomatic status”.
Present in Norway under diplomatic cover, the 15 Russians must leave Norwegian territory “soon”, the ministry said.
The Russian embassy in Oslo has contacted the France-Presse news agency (AFP), but has yet to respond.
Norwegian intelligence agencies regularly point to Russia and China as the top espionage threats against the country, a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and which shares 198 kilometers of border with Russia in the Arctic.
In April 2022, a few weeks after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Oslo, as well as several other European capitals, expelled three Russian diplomats suspected of spying, prompting Moscow to retaliate by expelling many more Norwegian officials .
The two countries, which have long maintained close relations, particularly in the far north, have seen their relations deteriorate significantly as a result of the conflict in Ukraine.
Although not a member of the European Union (EU), Norway has adopted almost all of the sanctions imposed by Brussels on Russia.
Source: DN
