Kremlin says Europe expulsions of diplomats 'short-sighted move'

The Kremlin on Tuesday called mass expulsions of Russian diplomats by a number of European countries a "short-sighted move" that will only complicate communication.

"Narrowing down opportunities for diplomatic communication in such an unprecedentedly difficult crisis environment is a short-sighted move that will further complicate our communication, which is necessary to find a solution," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

"And this will inevitably lead to retaliatory steps," he added.


On Monday, France expelled 35 Russian diplomats, and Germany announced it had expelled a "significant number" of Russian envoys.

The expulsions come amid international outrage over killings in the town of Bucha, near the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, where dozens of bodies were found over the weekend in mass graves or littering the streets.