Denmark caps Russian embassy staff in Copenhagen after problems securing visas to Moscow
World
Say Russia must reduce staffing to five diplomats and 20 administrative workers by Sept 29
HELSINKI (Reuters) - Denmark is allowing only 10 Russian diplomats at the Copenhagen embassy, matching the limit imposed for the Danish embassy in Moscow, the Nordic country's foreign ministry said on Friday.
Russia must reduce staffing to five diplomats and 20 administrative workers by Sept. 29, the ministry said in a statement following Denmark's failure to secure visas for its embassy employees in Moscow despite extended talks.
"The negotiations have not led to results due to repeated Russian attempts to include visa requests for Russian intelligence officers," the ministry said.
"The Russian Embassy in Copenhagen now has to be reduced with 10 diplomats," a ministry spokesperson added in an email to Reuters.
Russia's embassy to Copenhagen was not immediately available for comment.
In April 2022, Denmark responded to Russia's invasion of Ukraine by expelling 15 Russian diplomats, for which Moscow retaliated by declaring seven Danish embassy employees in the Russian capital as 'persona non grata'.
