Malta was not among 14 EU states who expelled Russian diplomats because, in the words of the government’s spokesman Malta’s diplomatic mission in Moscow “is too small” and the move would “effectively terminate diplomatic relations” between the two countries.
List of countries expelling Russian diplomats
The United States and many European countries on Monday made coordinated announcements to expel a total of more than 100 Russian diplomats, in a show of solidarity with Britain over the nerve agent attack of a former Russian spy in England.
A look at the countries that have announced the measures, and the number of Russians they have ordered to leave:
— UNITED STATES: 60 Russian diplomats expelled; Russian consulate in Seattle ordered closed.
— BRITAIN: 23 Russian diplomats expelled.
— CANADA: Four Russians expelled; 3 applications for additional diplomatic staff being denied.
— UKRAINE: 13 Russian diplomats expelled.
— GERMANY, FRANCE, POLAND: Four Russian diplomats expelled from each country.
— CZECH REPUBLIC, LITHUANIA: Three Russian diplomats expelled from each country.
— SPAIN, NETHERLANDS, DENMARK, ITALY, ALBANIA: Two Russian diplomats expelled from each country.
— HUNGARY, SWEDEN, CROATIA, ROMANIA, FINLAND, ESTONIA: One Russian diplomat expelled from each country.
— LATVIA: One Russian diplomat expelled, plus one Russian representative of a Russian company blacklisted.
The government’s head of communications, Kurt Farrugia, said the British government and the European Council had understood Malta’s position.