Tanaiste’s fury as Russia kicks out Irish diplomat

Retaliation ‘unjustified’ says Coveney

THE Government yesterday lashed out at the expulsion of an Irish diplomat by Russia.

It came in response to Ireland kicking out an official from the country’s embassy in Dublin.

Now one diplomat has been directed to leave Russia after our ambassador Adrian Mcdaid was summoned to a meeting at Moscow’s Department of Foreign Affairs.

Ireland has 10 people attached to its embassy in the city. It has not been announced which member of staff will be sent home.

Russia expelled 59 diplomats from 23 countries and said it reserved the right to take action against four other nations.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed the move in a short statement.

A spokesman for Tanaiste Simon Coveney said: “There is no justification for this expulsion. Our staff do not engage in activities incompatible with their diplomatic status. The decision to expel an Irish diplomat is regrettable.”

Following the Irish Government announcement, Russia’s Ambassador Yury Filatov warned that the decision to kick out a Russian diplomat would “not go unanswered”.

Vasily Velichkin, the Second Secretary at the embassy in Dublin said his country “rejected the underlying notion” it was to blame for the Salisbury attack which left Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia fighting for life. He added: “The

Simon Coveney Foreign Ministry of the Russia Federation summoned the heads of diplomatic missions including Ireland.

“They were handed notes of protest and told the Russian Federation declares persona non grata the relevant number of diplomats of this country working in diplomatic missions in Russia.

“We indicated from the very beginning that provocative and unwarranted actions will not go unanswered.

“We completely reject the underlying notion that Russia is somehow involved in the Salisbury incident.”