Russia deports two Dutch diplomats

Russia is deporting two Dutch diplomats in retaliation for the Netherlands doing the same to two Russian diplomats, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed Dutch ambassador Renee Jones-Bos on Friday, RTL Nieuws reports.

"I just heard that two highly esteemed colleagues are being deported. It is a blow, but the embassy can continue to function", Jones-Bos said after leaving the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

On Thursday Moscow announced that Russia will deport the same number of diplomats as what western countries deported Russian diplomats. That's 150. Several countries, including the Netherlands, recently decided to send Russian diplomats away after a poison gas attack on former Russian spy turned informant for the U.K. Sergei Skripal and his daughter in England.

The British police believe that Russia is behind the attack. Russia denies this. According to Russia, the United Kingdom - which is about to leave the European Union - is using the attack on Skripal to sour the relationship between the EU and Russia.