Nato expels Russian diplomats

**Aldgarkalaughskel** · April 30, 2009, 04:39 PM

Fresh out of the box:

Nato 'expels Russian diplomats'

Nato ordered the expulsion of the two Russian diplomats on Wednesday

Russia has confirmed Nato has expelled two of its diplomats from Brussels, reportedly in retaliation for a spy scandal involving an Estonian official. In a statement, the Russian foreign ministry described the expulsions as "outrageous" and a "crude provocation".
Nato diplomats claimed the Russians were undercover intelligence agents.
The official, Herman Simm, was jailed for 12 years in February by an Estonian court for passing Nato defence and diplomatic secrets to Moscow.
The court where the former head of Estonia's national security system was tried did not reveal which country he spied for, but investigators said Mr Simm passed nearly 3,000 documents to Russia.
They said he received 1.3m kroons (£74,000; $110,000) for the data. The Kremlin denied any involvement.
Nato made no comment at the time, but the case, Estonia's biggest spy scandal since the Cold War, was seen as an embarrassment for the former Soviet state, which joined the alliance in 2004.
'Crude provocation'
On Thursday, Russia's foreign ministry confirmed that Nato had expelled two of its diplomats, but said the move was unjustified.
"A crude provocation has been made in relation to two employees of Russia's permanent mission to Nato on an absolutely trumped up pretext without any clear explanation," it said.

There will be a response to such steps, which Nato will learn about shortly

Dmitry Rogozin
Russian ambassador to Nato

Russia's ambassador to Nato, Dmitry Rogozin, said he had been informed by the alliance's secretary general, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, on Wednesday that it had decided to withdraw the accreditation from two of his staff.
"I was told the following: 'Nato is outraged by Russia's spying activities against Nato and alliance member states'," he said.
Mr Rogozin identified the diplomats as Viktor Kochukov, a senior counsellor at the Russian mission and the head of its political section, and Vasiliy Chizhov, a lower-level attache and the son of Vladimir Chizhov, Russia's envoy to the European Union.
"There will be a response to such steps, which Nato will learn about shortly," he warned, adding that "someone in the West strongly dislikes how relations between Russia and individual countries of Western Europe are developing".
A Nato spokesman said he could not confirm the story because he could not comment on intelligence matters.
The move came as Nato held its first formal talks with Russian representatives since last summer's war between Russia and Georgia over the breakaway region of South Ossetia.
Investigators said Simm, who used to be the chief of Estonia's police service, had been working for the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) since 1995, when he joined the Estonian defence ministry.
Simm, who was convicted of treason, was ordered to pay 20.2m kroons (£1.15m; $1.71m) to the Estonian defence ministry for the cost of new security systems.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8026794.stm

This is not the first time Russian diplomacy was found blatantly gathering intelligence for their country directly or indirectly, but I think they chose the wrong time to commit such acts, in the middle of the Georgian crisis, when they should seek trustfulness and cooperation with NATO.

And what could Sir Rogozin possibly mean by those words?

**s.rwitt** · April 30, 2009, 05:02 PM

And what could Sir Rogozin possibly mean by those words?

More "WE'RE NOT IMPOTENT" empty threats.

**Thanatos** · April 30, 2009, 05:04 PM

Bah, just more saber rattling, methinks.

**YuriVII** · April 30, 2009, 05:08 PM

tit for tat diplomatic games. Hey Brits, remember when we caught your spies kicking that rock? Fun times.

**s.rwitt** · April 30, 2009, 05:10 PM

Yeah that was great, and then the way you guys assassinated someone on their soil and got those "Putin youth" groups to harass British diplomats. Man that sure was fun.

**YuriVII** · April 30, 2009, 05:11 PM

Good times

**Barry Goldwater** · April 30, 2009, 05:15 PM

Just saber-rattling I hope, though this may also be a sign of Cold War Mk. II

**Aldgarkalaughskel** · April 30, 2009, 05:15 PM

Sort of related news, could be in connection with Sir Rogozin's "empty" threat?

I don't know if it's breaking news or not, it was posted on Reuters today:

Russia takes control of rebel borders with Georgia

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia took formal control over the de-facto borders of Georgia's rebel regions on Thursday a week before NATO military exercises in Georgia that President Dmitry Medvedev said amounted to a challenge from the West.
Medvedev signed pacts giving Russia direct control over the borders of the tiny rebel regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, which were both recognized by Moscow as independent states after a brief war between Russia and Georgia last year.
Russia has sharply criticized NATO military exercises that are due to begin on May 6 in Georgia, a crucial transit route for Caspian Sea oil and gas to Europe.
"The planned NATO exercises are provocative, no matter how hard our Western partners try to persuade us of the opposite," Medvedev said after signing the security pacts.
"Those who are taking these decisions will carry full responsibility for any negative consequences," he said.
Under the security deals, Russia gets formal control over the regions' borders for at least five years and the regions will have no jurisdiction over the Russian border guard posts.
Tensions over Georgia have been running high since Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili's failed bid to retake the pro-Moscow breakaway region of South Ossetia in August.
Russia repelled the attack but provoked international condemnation for driving its troops further into Georgian territory and then recognizing South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states.

The war soured Russia's relations with the West and disagreements over Georgia could become a sticking point in efforts to improve ties with U.S. President Barack Obama.
A NATO diplomat told Reuters on Thursday that the alliance has ordered the expulsion of two Russian diplomats over a spy scandal in which an Estonian official was jailed for passing secrets to Moscow.
"Two Russian diplomats have been told they are not welcome here," the diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The pair were attached to the Russian mission to NATO.
NATO ordered the diplomats out on Wednesday, the same day the alliance resumed formal talks with Russia at ambassadorial level, eight months after contacts were suspended over Russia's war with Georgia.
NATO says it does not understand why Moscow is upset by the long-planned military exercises involving 1,300 troops from 19 countries from May 6 to June 1.
Russia says the war games encourage Saakashvili to rearm and Moscow has complained that Georgia is massing troops at its de-facto borders with Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Georgia has also accused Russia of gathering forces close to the borders.
NATO says the exercises, to be held 20 km (12 miles) east of the capital Tbilisi, will be based on a fictitious U.N.-mandated, NATO-led crisis response operation and will not involve heavy weaponry.

Source: http://uk.reuters.com/article/gc07/i...53T29H20090430

Not looking good.

**Panzerbear** · April 30, 2009, 05:51 PM

Nato diplomats claimed the Russians were undercover intelligence agents.

epic fail. one of them is actually son of current Russian EU diplomat, who only started his career last year, and did nothing but simple paperwork in the office. undercover intelligence agents

.

yet another spin proving that NATO is not interested in normalization of relationships with Russia.

**s.rwitt** · April 30, 2009, 05:53 PM

And here come the automatic dismissals...

**Panzerbear** · April 30, 2009, 06:00 PM

Originally Posted by s.rwitt

And here come the automatic dismissals...

after rediculous automatic accusations?

**Phier** · April 30, 2009, 06:10 PM

Is it just me or do spies take WAY to little money for their efforts?

I mean if a guy that can kick or hit a ball gets over 5 million a year, I'd at least expect the amount it costs to build a single fighter aircraft for state secrets.

**YuriVII** · April 30, 2009, 06:22 PM

Originally Posted by Phier

Is it just me or do spies take WAY to little money for their efforts?

I mean if a guy that can kick or hit a ball gets over 5 million a year, I'd at least expect the amount it costs to build a single fighter aircraft for state secrets.

Then one would ask, "how did you get 100 million dollars over-night?" Or, "how you accumulate such a golden lifestyle off of an Estonian government salary?" Maybe this Simms guy was nostalgic for USSR times, or he was like that Hansen guy and just wanted to live that lifestyle.

**bushbush** · April 30, 2009, 06:13 PM

go russia!

**Carach** · April 30, 2009, 06:58 PM

Originally Posted by Panzerbear

epic fail. one of them is actually son of current Russian EU diplomat, who only started his career last year, and did nothing but simple paperwork in the office. undercover intelligence agents

.

yet another spin proving that NATO is not interested in normalization of relationships with Russia.

when we talk about the huge amounts of evidence showing russian agents murdering people on foreign soil with nuclear material..its all just crazzzzzzzy talk isnt is czar. So this recent turn of events with russian agents inside of NATO, without any evidence that is going to be shown to the public, is just going to fall on deaf ears isnt it.

This is just yet another one of those crazy stories that us nutty westerners have cooked up to spite the kind, loving people of Russia - whatever will we do next?! "Putin makes sexual advances upon Obama in g20!" ? U never know wtf us fruitcakes are gonna do!

i just love u and ur stuff so much man.

**Panzerbear** · April 30, 2009, 08:45 PM

Originally Posted by Carach

when we talk about the huge amounts of evidence showing russian agents murdering people on foreign soil with nuclear material..its all just crazzzzzzzy talk isnt is czar.

remind me please, what does have Litvinenko's case have to do with expelling an amateur of a diplomat, son of current EU diplomat, for "spying"?

So this recent turn of events with russian agents inside of NATO, without any evidence that is going to be shown to the public, is just going to fall on deaf ears isnt it.

by all means, do show the evidence that this latest diplomatic stunt by NATO was indeed oriented against "Russian spies" in Brussels, especially in light of upcoming NATO military exercises in Georgia on May 6th...

This is just yet another one of those crazy stories that us nutty westerners have cooked up to spite the kind, loving people of Russia - whatever will we do next?! "Putin makes sexual advances upon Obama in g20!" ? U never know wtf us fruitcakes are gonna do!

i just love u and ur stuff so much man.

please spare me your love and imaginative stories about sexual advances.

**Carach** · May 01, 2009, 07:13 AM

Originally Posted by Panzerbear

please spare me your love and imaginative stories about sexual advances.

i just want to take u home and wrap u up in cotton wool tbh.

Originally Posted by Exarch

i prefer peanut butter on my diplomatic sandwich

ewww? whats wrong with just butter and strawberry jam?

Originally Posted by Total Fanatic :)

Actually I would be taking that quite seriously. If NATO harms the Russian diplomats, there will be serious retaliations.

all theyve done is expel them. so no need to start cocking ur ak's and/or getting ur tanks out of the museums yea?
God forbid i dont think even us evil westerners would want to see u so utterly humiliated.