US and EU expel scores of Russian diplomats over Skripal attack

[sfwriter]

Source: The Guardian

US orders expulsion of 60 officials as 14 EU member states plus Ukraine announce coordinated response to nerve agent poisoning

"The US and EU have expelled dozens of Russian diplomats in response to the nerve agent attack in the UK.

The US has ordered the expulsion of 60 Russian officials who Washington says are spies, including a dozen based at the United Nations.

EU members Germany, France and Poland are each to expel four Russian diplomats with intelligence agency backgrounds. Lithuania and the Czech Republic said they would expel three with Denmark, Italy and the Netherlands expelling two each.

Ukraine, which is not an EU member, is to expel 13 Russian diplomats and Canada four.

The UK expelled 23 Russian diplomats in the wake of the poisoning, and Russia responded by ejecting the same number of British diplomats.

Russia promised it would take reciprocal action against Washington. It said the UK had not presented a single fact proving that Moscow was behind the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia."


Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/mar/26/four-eu-states-set-to-expel-russian-diplomats-over-skripal-attack

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More at link. This story is developing.

[Hortensis]

1. Yes, fantastic! I think we can assume many nations

are also taking actions they are not making public.

Plus, what's happening financially? Over the past 30 years, planetary wealth quadrupled, much of it funneled into the hands of political and other criminals who need to launder it into safe investments.

We now know that this has lead to enormous corruption of many, many nations. The UK and the U.S. have, in fact, become by far the biggest money laundering destinations, but all well-meaning leaders are now aware of how dangerously this corruption has infiltrated and undermined their institutions.

Russia, in particular, weaponized the export of corruption for the specific purpose of weakening and even bringing down governments. So, what's happening and gong to happen? Russia is NOT a wealthy nation, more of a developing nation. (And Putin's future security depends far less on support of the electorate than support of his fellow kleptocrats.)

[Leghorn21]

3. Excellent post, Hortensis, thank you - recommend!! And yes please, may we FREEZE RUSSIAN ASSETS

and shut this international laundering operation down, like, NOW?

Again, thank you for your post here, H -

[Hortensis]

4. Yes. Surely we'd have done so long since if not for Trump--

and domestic enemies benefiting from his obstruction.

[Leghorn21]

6. YES - DOMESTIC ENEMIES, H - trump is just a front or a pawn or whatever, but his

“associates” - whoever they may be - well, I can only hope they’re getting a little nervous this morning...?!?

[Leghorn21]

2. From your link:

EU members Germany, France and Poland are each to expel four Russian diplomats with intelligence agency backgrounds. Lithuania and the Czech Republic said they would expel three with Denmark, Italy and the Netherlands expelling two each. Ukraine, which is not an EU member, is to expel 13 Russian diplomats, and Canada four.


From Sky News tweets:

Estonia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Poland, Netherlands, the Ukraine, Lithuania, France, Romania, Croatia, Finland, Italy, and Canada are all expelling Russian diplomats.

https://mobile.twitter.com/SkyNewsBreak


WELL HAPPY MONDAY, ALL

WOW

[Hortensis]

5. This is happy news! Notably, the small Baltic nations

Russia is threatening to take over are all in, including Latvia.

[Leghorn21]

8. It is an extraordinary show of solidarity, right?!? And a great, GREAT beginning!!!

But yes please, may we all now start freezing those assets?? - - I know nothing, of course, but I get the strong impression that freezing all those millions/billions dollars of nasty filthy disgusting ill-gotten gains on a worldwide basis would bring Putin/Mogilevich/Trump ETC mobocracies to their knees in a matter of days -

It really is a glorious morning, H!!

HOPE SPRINGS!!

[Leghorn21]

9. Aw man, my party just got rained on here, H - trump was only willing to execute expelling

operation if Allies did it as well:

https://www.rawstory.com/2018/03/trump-refused-go-alone-russia-punishment-imposed-sanctions-france-germany-joined/

Ah, well...

[Hortensis]

10. :) I assumed that went without saying. Rump was forced

into this much of a stand by the actions of other nations, not vice versa.

I love the idea of what freezing assets would do to Russia, and others like Iran. But that huge threat must make them desperate also. When/if Democrats take over congress, they're in trouble.

[Leghorn21]

11. Well you are just light years ahead of moi, obviously!! But hey, any trouble we can give

the mobsters is fine by me!! We really do need to get our hands on that dirty money, but I shall keep the faith that this is in the works as we speak - !!

Meanwhile, Spain has just busted a ring of mobster cyber thieves, so YAY!

[KPN]

7. So why did we (the USA's executive branch)

do this?

Could be a number of things, but I like to think that Donnie and his GOP goons are all terrified they might be the next poison victims; better to be safe.

[Maxheader]

12. Kinda spooky...

Russia to US: You've made a 'grave' mistake

https://www.cnn.com/