The Slovakian foreign ministry announced the expulsion of a Russian diplomat over a suspected breach of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. The Vienna Convention delineates the rights and responsibilities of diplomats. In a press release, the Slovakian Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicated that the actions of the diplomat were thoroughly documented by the competent authorities of the Slovak Republic.
No specific details were given regarding the nature of the accusation. However, previous cases have involved Russian diplomats in Slovakia being accused of spying. Last year, on March 30th, Slovakia expelled 35 Russian diplomats for violating the Vienna Convention, just two weeks after Slovak authorities had arrested three people and ejected three other Russian diplomats over alleged espionage.
This adds to a growing trend of expulsions of Russian diplomats as a response to Russia’s actions in Ukraine. In April 2022, over 200 Russian diplomats were expelled by various countries following the disclosure of civilian killings in the Bucha massacre. This included expulsions from Italy, France, and Germany. Both France and the United States have expelled a significant number of Russian intelligence officers and diplomats due to the invasion, as part of a wider push to curb Russia’s actions and show solidarity with Ukraine.