Russia Suspends NATO Mission, Closes Liaison Office Following Diplomat Expulsion

Russia announced on Monday that it will suspend its permanent mission to NATO and its Moscow liaison office in response to last week’s expulsion of eight Russian diplomats.

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said NATO’s delegation in Moscow will have their accreditation revoked as of Nov. 1 and from that point on, they should interact with the Russian embassy in Brussels if needed.

“Following certain measures taken by NATO, the basic conditions for common work no longer exist,” Lavrov told reporters in Moscow.

“In response to NATO’s activities, we suspend the work of our permanent mission to NATO, including the work of the chief military representative, starting from November 1, or maybe it will take a couple more days,” he said.

Last week, NATO expelled Russia’s staff for working as “undeclared Russian intelligence officers” and reduced the nation's staff of 20 diplomats by a half.

This is the second time the intergovernmental military alliance has made such a move. In 2018, NATO reduced Russia’s delegation from 30 to 20 diplomats following a similar espionage attempt.

NATO spokesperson Oana Lungescu said Russia has yet to send an official message about its suspension. NATO added in a statement at the time that the alliance had “strengthened our deterrence and defense in response to Russia’s aggressive actions” but remains “open for a meaningful dialogue.”