Trump expels 60 Russian diplomats

US President Donald Trump has expelled dozens of Russian diplomats in the United States, following the poisoning of a Russian former double agent in Britain.

Trump on Monday ordered 60 Russian diplomats that Washington considers spies to leave the country in solidarity with Britain over the alleged nerve-agent poisoning of Sergei Skripal, and closed Russia's consulate in Seattle, senior administration officials said.

The officials said all 60 Russians were spies working under diplomatic cover, including a dozen at Russia's mission to the United Nations.

They said the expulsions meant to send a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin about the "unacceptably high" number of Russian intelligence operatives in America.

The expelled Russians have been given seven days to leave the US, said the officials.

The move, one of the most significant actions the Trump administration has taken so far against Russia, comes amid escalating tensions between the West and Russia over the poisoning of Skripal, 66, and his 33-year-old daughter, Yulia, in a British town.

The Skripals were found unconscious on March 4 on a bench in the British city of Salisbury. They remain hospitalized in critical condition.

London claims the Soviet-designed Novichok nerve agent has been used to poison the pair and points the finger at Russia.

Moscow has rejected the claims as "absurd," saying the substance used in the attack could have originated from the countries studying it, including Britain itself. It has offered cooperation with London in probing the case.

Less than a week ago, Trump phoned Putin to congratulate the Russian leader for his re-election but did not raise the spy case, renewing criticisms he is too soft on Moscow.

Meanwhile, Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, made a short statement in Bulgaria on Monday, saying 14 EU states were also expelling Russian diplomats over the UK spy case.

European Council President Donald Tusk delivers a press conference before the dinner at the European Council headquarters on the first day of a summit of European Union (EU) leaders in Brussels on March 22, 2018. (Photo by AFP)

France said it would expel four Russian diplomats, Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis said his country would expel 3 Russian diplomats; Poland said it was expelling four and Ukraine announced the expulsion of 13 diplomats. Italy said two Russian diplomats must leave the country by the end of the week.

Canada said the four Russian diplomats in the country were intelligence officers working under diplomatic cover, and that they were being expelled "in solidarity with the United Kingdom."

Earlier in the day, Britain's defense secretary said Putin was trying to divide the UK from its allies, but the world stood united behind Britain in a "powerful message to the Kremlin."

Britain's defense secretary says that Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to divide Britain from its allies.

"The world's patience is rather wearing thin with President Putin and his actions, and the fact that right across the NATO alliance, right across the European Union, nations have stood up in support of the United Kingdom... I actually think that is the very best response that we could have," Gavin Williamson said in Tallinn, Estonia.

The UK has already expelled 23 Russian diplomats over the alleged nerve attack, a move that prompted Moscow to expel 23 British diplomats. 

'Unfriendly step'

The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that "this unfriendly step by this group of countries will not go unnoticed."

On Saturday, the Kremlin said it was extremely uncomfortable with the recent stance by European countries.

Russia says it is extremely uncomfortable with Europe's stance on the poisoning of former double agent and his daughter in Britain.

"It's a big discomfort for us to have unpredictable and aggressive counterparts. But this is the reality we have to live with," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted by the RIA news agency as saying.