France has confirmed it is to expel 35 Russian diplomats as part of a joint European response to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, following the massacre of civilians blamed on retreating Russian trooops.
In a statement released by France's foreign ministry on Monday: "France decided ... to expel a number of Russian personnel with diplomatic status stationed in France whose activities are against our security interests."
35 Russian diplomats are set to be be expelled, with the foreign ministry adding the action is part of a concerted "European approach."
"Our first responsibility is always to ensure the safety of French people and Europeans," it said.
#Russie | La France a décidé ce soir de l’expulsion de nombreux personnels russes sous statut diplomatique affectés en France dont les activités sont contraires à nos intérêts de sécurité. Cette action s’inscrit dans une démarche européenne.
— France Diplomatie🇫🇷🇪🇺 (@francediplo) April 4, 2022
👉 https://t.co/X6EgXtMpdr pic.twitter.com/9CtzFDeKIQ
Bucha massacre sparks outrage in Europe
Meanwhile, Germany expelled a "significant number" of Russian diplomats on Monday in what Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock called a response to the "unbelievable brutality" the Kremlin had unleashed in Ukraine.
Berlin's move reportedly involves 40 Russians.
This comes as Lithuania said it was expelling Russia's ambassador over the aggression in Ukraine.
There has been outrage across Europe over killings in the town of Bucha near the capital where dozens of bodies were found in mass graves or littering the streets near Kyiv over the weekend.
The Kremlin has rejected Western accusations that Russian forces were responsible.
- Russia 'must answer for crimes' in Ukraine says French president
- Zelensky calls Russian troops 'murderers, torturers, rapists, looters'
EU, US prepare new sanctions against Moscow
The United States and Europe are planning new sanctions on Tuesday to punish Moscow over civilian killings in Ukraine, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy warning that more deaths were likely to be uncovered in areas seized from Russian forces.
Zelensky is due to address the U.N. Security Council later this Tuesday over growing evidence of what he call Russia's campaign of "genocide".
Russian soldiers withdrew from towns north of the capital Kyiv last week as the Kremlin turns its assault to Ukraine's south and east.
U.S. President Joe Biden called for a war crimes trial against Russia's President Vladimir Putin and the United States will ask the U.N. General Assembly to suspend Russia from the Human Rights Council.
Russia says it will present "empirical evidence" to a meeting of the United Nations Security Council this Tuesday proving its forces were not involved.
Spoke with UN Secretary General @AntonioGuterres on the current security situation and the Bucha massacre. Stressed that Ukraine will use all available UN mechanisms to collect evidence and hold Russian war criminals to account. No place for Russia on the UN Human Rights Council.
— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) April 4, 2022
Ukraine vows to hold war criminals to account
Ukraine's foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, said he spoke with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres about the Bucha massacre and stressed "that Ukraine will use all available UN mechanisms to collect evidence and hold Russian war criminals to account."
Meawwhile, Kuleba also spoke with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in a phone call on Monday, with Beijing again calling for talks to end the conflict in Ukraine.
The call, which Beijing said was made at Ukraine's request, was the first reported high-level conversation between the countries since 1 March, when Kuleba asked China to use its ties with Moscow to stop Russia's invasion.
