Russia Expels Some U.S. Diplomats in Latest Tit-for-Tat Action
Wall Street JournalSep 20, 2021
The Facts
Russia's Foreign Ministry declared two US diplomats — First Secretary Jeffrey Sillin and Second Secretary David Bernstein — "persona non grata" on Thursday, ordering them to leave the country within a week.
The move comes after the US Ambassador to Russia, Lynne Tracy, was summoned to the ministry to receive a strong complaint over the actions of Sillin and Bernstein, which were allegedly incompatible with their status.
The Spin
Pro-Russia narrative
Hopefully, the US will draw the right conclusions from these diplomatic expulsions and finally give up meddling in Russian internal affairs. These two US diplomats had unacceptably assigned Shonov to collect vital information about the special military operation and undermine Russia's national security in exchange for money. Russia is justified in expelling these problematic diplomats.
Anti-Russia narrative
This ill-founded expulsion is yet another sign that Moscow will not refrain from harassing foreign diplomatic personnel, even if that means further confrontation and escalation. Allegations against Sillin and Bernstein are completely without merit, as is the case against Shonov, giving Washington no option other than responding appropriately to these actions.
