On the evening of April 17th 2021, Jan Hamachek, first deputy prime minister and interior minister of the Czech Republic, who also acted as foreign minister, announced the expulsion of 18 staff members of the Russian Embassy in the Czech Republic. According to the Czech side, the men worked for the Russian intelligence services and asked them to leave the country within 48 hours.
On April 18, local time, the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the Czech ambassador to Russia issued a statement announcing the expulsion of 20 Czech diplomats.
The game between Russia and the West continues, and the confrontation has escalated to the point where diplomats are expelled from each other.
On the 15th of this month, the U.S. government imposed large-scale sanctions on Russia and expelled 10 Russian diplomats, citing Malicious Activities Such As Russian CyberattackS And Interference In U.S. ElectionS. Russia announced the next day the re-expulsion of 10 U.S. diplomats.
Subsequently, the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on the same day, declaring three Diplomats of the Russian Embassy in Poland as “undesirable persons”. Because they engaged in acts that were “contrary to their diplomatic status and detrimental to Poland”. The statement also said Poland supports the U.S. government’s actions against Russia that day. In response, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zakharova 15, said Poland’s move is not based on facts, but “at the beil of the United States performance.” The next day, the Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement announcing the expulsion of five Polish diplomats.
On the 17th local time, the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement asking a senior diplomat of the Russian Embassy in Ukraine to leave Ukraine within 72 hours from the 19th. The statement said the decision was a “response to Russian provocations.” The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine strongly protested against the “illegal detention” of the Ukrainian Consulate General in St. Petersburg, Russia, on the 16th by the Russian side and was asked to leave the country before the 21st, and completely rejected the Russian charges against the Ukrainian consular officials. Earlier, the Russian Foreign Ministry believed that Sosonyuk’s activities were inconsistent with the status of consular officials and undermined Russia’s national security interests. It was subsequently listed as undesirable and asked to leave Russia within a deadline.
According to the Russian Black Sea Fleet announced the news, local time on the 17th, belonging to the Russian Caspian Sub-Fleet of 15 warships formed a formation, through the Kerch Strait into the Black Sea.
According to the Russian side, the Russian Caspian Sub-Fleet of the 15 warships, will participate in military exercises in the Black Sea region, and accept the Russian Defense Ministry’s operational readiness inspection. The Russian Caspian Sub-Fleet has a total strength of 20,000 troops and is mainly responsible for security in the Caspian Region.
According to Reuters and Turkish media reports, the 17th, the Russian Northern Fleet two landing ships of the Stun class take the Turkish Bosphorus Strait to the Black Sea. However, this claim has not been confirmed by the Russian authorities.
Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry said on the 16th, April 24 to October 31, foreign warships and other vessels in the Black Sea near Crimea three areas of the right of way will be restricted, but the Kerch Strait near the sea vessel access will not be affected.
What is the real purpose of this round of U.S. and NATO sanctions against Russia for meddling in the U.S. election and Ukraine?
Special commentator Song Xiaojun: I think the real purpose of this round is a test of U.S.-Russian policy after the Biden administration took office. Nor might the U.S. government have thought that after four Ukrainian soldiers were killed by landmines, the Ukrainian side blamed Donetsk and then turned directly to Russia. Just as Russia was conducting combat readiness exercises, 4,000 people did not withdraw from the Ukrainian border exercises. In this context, the Western media began to promote, began to fan the rumors that Russia wants to impose sanctions on Ukraine, and in Mariupol landing operations. Western media began to hype, some countries were deceived.
