The expulsion of 8 members came after revelation of report in April containing information of alleged involvement of Russian Spy network in deadly 2014 blasts in Czech Republic. The blast took place in 2014 on Czech Ammunition depot in Prague.
NATO had withdrawn the accreditation of 8 members of the Russian mission and reduced to 10 the number of positions Moscow is able to accredit to alliance, said NATO.
Russian deputy Foreign minister Alexander Grushko accused NATO of using the idea of an alleged threat from Moscow as a bogeyman. He also accused the US lead alliance of Duplicity.
“The leaders of NATO yesterday spoke of the importance of de-escalating relations with Russia and spoke out in favor of a resumption in dialogue in the framework of the Russia-NATO Council,” Grushko told the Kommersant daily newspaper.
“If anyone believed in the sincerity of those statements then today they don’t. Their real worth is clear to all. After the dramatic end of the Afghan era, how can they can get by without the bogeyman of the ‘Russian threat.’ They can’t.”
Russia remained as the observer mission to NATO as part of the NATO-Russia Council founded 20 years ago that was meant to promote cooperation in common security areas, but it is not a member of the military alliance.
