Spain not considering expulsion of Russian Ambassador
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The Ambassador is the only representation of ties between Madrid and Moscow, and Spain is not interested in severing it.
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Jose Manuel Albares, Spanish Foreign Minister
On Friday, the Spanish Foreign Minister, Jose Manuel Albares, said the Russian Ambassador to Spain is the only line of contact between the country and Moscow, and therefore Spain does not plan to expel the Ambassador over Ukraine.
Last month, Madrid ordered dozens of Russian diplomats and embassy personnel to leave as the situation in Ukraine intensified.
Albares told Radio 4 that Yuri Korchagin, the Russian Ambassador, represents the line of dialogue that has remained open between the two countries, although "there is practically no contact with him."
In the meantime, the Spanish FM said that Spain is committed to enhancing NATO presence in the eastern flank of Europe, sending human and military resources to countries on Russian borders allegedly as a way to maintain Spanish border security.
Last month alone, over 60 Russian diplomats and embassy personnel were expelled from EU states, including Austria, Greece, Denmark, Sweden, and Italy. This was preceded by Belgium, Ireland, the Netherlands, and the Czech Republic declaring the expulsion of Russian diplomats, accusing them of "espionage"; an accusation that appeared out of the blue.
Slovakia then followed suit with 35 diplomats expelled. Slovakia had expelled three Russian officials for claims of "espionage" earlier in March, and in retaliation for the country's decision, Russia deemed three Slovakians as persona non grata.
In retaliation, Russia also expelled Danish, Japanese, Polish, and German diplomats last month.
