More than 100 Russian diplomats now expelled </s> LONDON (AP) — The United States and many Western countries announced they were expelling a total of more than 130 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:

— CANADA: Four Russians expelled; 3 applications for additional diplomatic staff being denied.

— 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, AUSTRALIA: 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. </s> MOSCOW: Moscow on Friday (Mar 30) issued tit-for-tat measures against countries that have expelled Russian diplomats in a mass show of support for Britain over the poisoning of a former double agent in England.

Russia announced the expulsion of diplomats from 23 countries, almost all of them European Union members, and told Britain to make unspecified "reductions" to its diplomatic staff.

Most of the ambassadors driven up to the front door of the Russian foreign ministry in flagged official cars on Friday came from EU countries.

Eighteen of the 28 EU countries have now expelled Russian diplomats and Moscow issued tit-for-tat measures against a majority of them.

The Netherlands was the first to announce that Russia was expelling two diplomats.

According to their officials and state broadcasters, Germany and Poland would be sending home four diplomats each, the Czech Republic and Lithuania three each, and Italy, Spain, Albania and Denmark would all have two expelled.

Latvia, Estonia, Croatia, Sweden, Romania, Ireland, Norway and Finland must each withdraw one diplomat. France was told it would have to send home four diplomats.

Ukraine was told 13 diplomats will have to leave, while Moldova had three expulsions confirmed.

Expulsions are expected for Canada, Australia and Macedonia after they were summoned to Russia's foreign ministry, but have not yet been confirmed.

Russia on Thursday separately announced it would expel 60 US diplomats and close the US consulate in Saint Petersburg.

Washington had earlier ordered 60 Russia diplomats to leave the country and shut down the Russian consulate general in Seattle.

Moscow has already expelled British diplomats but issued an additional punishment on Friday, saying London must cut its diplomatic presence within a month to the same as Russia has in the UK - without giving a number.

London has said that Moscow is "highly likely" behind the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia with a Soviet-developed nerve agent in the English city of Salisbury on Mar 4.

Britain has expelled 23 Russian diplomats, suspended high-level diplomatic contacts and vowed not send royal family members to the football World Cup hosted by Russia this summer.

Russia had already retaliated by expelling 23 British diplomats, closing a UK consulate in Saint Petersburg and shutting down the British Council educational and cultural organisation.

Slovakia, Malta, Bulgaria, Portugal and Luxembourg recalled their ambassadors to Russia for consultations this week, in a temporary measure to show disapproval.

Russia said it reserves the right to respond to countries that have recently announced expulsions of Russian diplomats: Belgium, Hungary, Georgia and Montenegro. </s> March 30 (UPI) -- Ambassadors from 23 nations were summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry on Friday and told their diplomatic personnel would be expelled.

The number of personnel ordered to leave Russia, in most cases by April 5, is equivalent to the number of Moscow diplomats told to leave embassies in host nations this week.

The reciprocal expulsions involve 27 nations and Russia, and are in response to the March 4 poisoning of former Russian intelligence office Sergei Skripal and his adult daughter in Salisbury, Britain.

British and U.S. leaders have accused Moscow of responsibility for the use of what's believed to be a Russian-manufactured nerve gas against the two.

Friday's moves came after Russia expelled 60 U.S. diplomatic staff on Thursday.

"[We] summoned the heads of diplomatic missions from Australia, Albania, Germany, Denmark, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Canada, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Ukraine, Finland, France, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Sweden and Estonia," a statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry said. "They were handed notes of protest and told that the Russian Federation declares persona non grata the relevant number of diplomats from these countries ... in response to their unjustified expulsions of Russian diplomats based on Britain's proof-free accusations of Russia related to the Skripal case."

The ministry said diplomats of Belgium, Hungary, Montenegro and Georgia -- nations that "decided to join" the expulsion "at the last minute" -- could similarly be affected.

Dutch Ambassador Renee Jones-Bos said she was told two diplomats would be expelled. Italy will lose two, Finland will lose one and the Czech Republic will lose three.

"This comes as no surprise," said German ambassador Heiko Maas, adding that Berlin "did not make a hasty decision to expel Russian diplomats."

Germany will lose four diplomats in Moscow.

"The Russian government has not answered any of the unresolved questions and has shown no willingness to play a constructive role in clarifying the circumstances of the attack," Maas said earlier. "We continue to call upon Russia to live up to its responsibility and to fulfill its obligation to investigate the attack." </s> More expelled diplomats arrive in Moscow as Williamson warns of 'new era of warfare'

More expelled diplomats arrive in Moscow as Williamson warns of 'new era of warfare'

Russian diplomats and their family members from the US arrived in Moscow on Sunday

The first plane carrying Russian diplomats expelled from the US has landed in Moscow as the Defence Secretary warned the world had "entered a new era of warfare".

Gavin Williamson said if there was ever any doubt over the threat posed by Moscow "we only have to look at events in Salisbury, where our Armed Forces, including the RAF, have been responding to a cold-blooded chemical attack".

The UK has expelled 23 Russian diplomats in the wake of the poisoning of Mr Skripal, 66, and his daughter. A number of other countries followed suit, including America, Canada, Australia and more than a dozen EU nations.

Image: A minibus allegedly transporting expelled Russian diplomats

Theresa May has said it is "highly likely" Russia was involved in the attack which targeted former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia with Russian-made nerve agent group novichok.

Moscow has denied any involvement in the case, which has caused a standoff between Britain and Russia.

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Mr Williamson said the Kremlin's response has been to "unleash a tidal wave of smears, lies and mockery".

Image: A number of other countries have also expelled Russian diplomats

The Defence Secretary, writing in the Sunday Telegraph to mark 100 years since the formation of the Royal Air Force, highlighted the conflicts in countries such as Yemen, Syria and North Korea, saying the world was becoming a "darker, more dangerous place".

"Then there is President Putin," he said.

Image: Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were poisoned in Salisbury

"He is using more hybrid capabilities to subvert, undermine, and influence countries around the world. We have entered a new era of warfare".

He added: "It's vital for UK defence to keep evolving to meet the threats of tomorrow to keep our country safe and protect the hard-earned freedoms and way of life we enjoy today."

Mr Williamson called the attack on British soil "illegal and contemptuous", saying it endangered innocent lives.

He had previously told Russia it should "go away and shut up".

Defence Secretary: 'Russia should shut up'

The poisoning on 4 March sparked a global diplomatic spat. More than 100 Russian diplomats have been expelled by Western countries, including 23 from Britain.

Russia had already retaliated in kind by ejecting 23 British diplomats, and the Russian embassy in London published a list of 14 questions over the case.

Mr Skripal and his daughter were found slumped on a bench after being poisoned.

VR reconstruction of Russia spy's movements

Shop owners in Salisbury have said they are struggling in the wake of the attack which happened a month ago, with business down 90%. </s> Moscow will expel two Australian diplomats in retaliation for Canberra booting out two of its diplomats.

Australia's ambassador to Russia Peter Tesch was among the diplomats summoned to the Russian foreign ministry on Friday to be told of the expulsions.

The diplomatic mission in Moscow has 10 staff.

On Wednesday, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop had announced two Russian spies had been given six days to leave Australia, in a show of solidarity with the UK over the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury.

In total, Russia will expel 59 diplomats from 23 countries following on the expulsion of 23 British and 60 American diplomats earlier in the week. </s> Russia is to expel 60 US diplomats and has ordered the closure of the US consulate in St. Petersburg, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Thursday, in retaliation for a similar move by Washington.

Lavrov, making the announcement in Moscow, said the US ambassador Jon Huntsman had been summoned to the Foreign Ministry to be told of the decision.

The US expelled 60 diplomats on Monday as part of a coordinated global response to the poisoning of a former Russian double agent, Sergei Skripal, and his daughter, Yulia Skripal, in Britain. The British government blames Russia for using a military-grade nerve agent for the poisoning, in the English city of Salisbury on March 4.

More than 20 countries said they would expel more than 100 Russian diplomats over the case.

Russia has firmly denied responsibility and President Vladimir Putin has dismissed it as "delirium." Russia had already been engaged in a tit-for-tat with Britain, with both countries expelling 23 diplomats. </s> The United States and more than a dozen European countries on Monday made coordinated announcements to expel Russian diplomats in a show ofsolidarity 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:

— CANADA: Four Russians expelled; 3 applications for additional diplomatic staff being denied.

— GERMANY, FRANCE, POLAND: Four Russian diplomats expelled from each country.

— CZECH REPUBLIC, LITHUANIA: Three Russian diplomats expelled from each country.

— NETHERLANDS, DENMARK, ITALY, ALBANIA: Two Russian diplomats expelled from each country.

— 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. </s> Moscow has given two Australian diplomats a week to leave Russia in retaliation for Canberra booting out two of its spies.

In a joint statement on Saturday morning, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said there is no justification for the expulsions by Russia.

"This is a disappointing, although not unexpected, reaction by the Russian Government to the decision of the Australian Government to expel two Russian diplomats working as undeclared intelligence officers," the statement said.

"Australia's action was in concert with 28 other nations expelling a total of 153 Russian diplomats in an unprecedented demonstration of global solidarity with the United Kingdom."

On Wednesday Ms Bishop announced two Russian spies had been given six days to leave Australia, in a show of solidarity with the UK over the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury.

Labor leader Bill Shorten supported the government's decision, calling it an appropriate and proportionate response.

"The Russian Government must understand there are real consequences for engaging in attacks on foreign soil and refusing to tell the truth about them," he said in a joint statement with Labor senator Penny Wong on Saturday.

"We have to act in the way that we believe is in Australia's national interest, and on this occasion that was sending a strong signal that we reject Russia's action and we stand with our friends and allies."

Australia's ambassador to Russia Peter Tesch was among the diplomats summoned to the Russian foreign ministry on Friday to be told of the expulsions.

The diplomatic mission in Moscow has 10 staff.

In total, Russia will expel 59 diplomats from 23 countries following on the expulsion of 23 British and 60 American diplomats earlier in the week.
More than 100 Russian diplomats are expelled from over 20 countries.