European Union chief Donald Tusk says 14 member nations are expelling Russian diplomatic staff over the poisoning of ex-spy Sergei Skripal in Britain.
Tusk said Monday that there may be additional measures including further expulsions in the coming days and weeks.
In coordinated announcements of expulsions on Monday, the Czech Republic said it is kicking out three staffers from the Russian embassy. Andrej Babis calls the measure an expression of solidarity with Britain.
The Netherlands said it is expelling two Russian intelligence officers, while Estonia said it was expelling the Russian defense attache. The Italian Foreign Ministry announced that Italy would expel two Russian diplomats assigned to the embassy within a week
The coordinated action comes after EU leaders issued a statement Thursday night saying the whole bloc agreed with Britain's assessment that "it is highly likely that the Russian Federation is responsible and that there is no plausible alternative explanation."
FOUR DIPLOMATS EXPELLED BY BERLIN
The four Russian diplomats being expelled by Germany over the poisoning of Sergei Skripal have a week to leave the country, the German Foreign Ministry said.
"Today we expelled four Russian diplomats," the foreign ministry said. "After the poisoning attack in Salisbury, Russia is still not cooperating with the investigation.
The Russian embassy had been informed of the April 2 deadline, the ministry said, adding that Germany was always open to dialogue with Russia.
FRANCE EXPELS FOUR DIPLOMATS OVER SPY POISONING IN UNITED KINGDOM
France is expelling four Russian diplomats in response to the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal in Britain, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian says.
The four "Russian personnel with diplomatic status" will have a week to leave the country.
France considered that the attack in Salisbury, which British authorities say was carried out with a Soviet-developed nerve agent, was "a grave threat to our collective security and international law" and was acting "in solidarity with our British partners," Le Drian says.
ESTONIA EXPELS RUSSIAN DIPLOMAT OVER UK NERVE ATTACK
Estonia said on Monday it would expel Russia's defence attache in the country over a nerve agent attack in Britain, which London has blamed on Moscow.
"This afternoon we called in the Russian ambassador to whom we gave a note that the defence attache at the Russian Embassy should leave the country," Foreign Minister Sven Mikser told a news conference.
"His actions are not compatible with the Vienna Convention."
DENMARK EXPELS TWO RUSSIAN DIPLOMATS OVER SPY ATTACK IN BRITAIN
Denmark on Monday announced the expulsion of two Russian diplomats in response to the nerve agent attack in Britain.
"The Russian explanations of the incident are more or less imaginative, several of them are self-contradictory and are probably mostly a smokescreen to create doubt," foreign minister Anders Samuelsen told journalists.
The two diplomats must leave Denmark within a week, he said.
Potential economic sanctions will be looked at in cooperation with other EU countries, the minister added.
EU leaders last week called evidence of Russian involvement presented by British Prime Minister Theresa May a solid basis for further action.
