Russia's Mission To NATO Halved As Group Expels 8 Suspected Spies

Deborah Haynes at Sky News tweets:

• "NATO has decided to halve the size of Russia's mission to the alliance in response to suspected malign Russian activities, including killings & espionage. 8 diplomats, thought to be undeclared intelligence officers, will be asked to leave & 2 other positions scrapped. A NATO official said: "We can confirm that we have withdrawn the accreditation of eight members of the Russian Mission to NATO, who were undeclared Russian intelligence officers. We can also confirm that we have reduced the number of positions which the Russian Federation can accredit to NATO to 10. NATO's policy towards Russia remains consistent. We have strengthened our deterrence and defence[s] in response to Russia's aggressive actions, while at the same time we remain open for a meaningful dialogue."
• The move comes as the role of NATO is under intense scrutiny amid the creation of the AUKUS alliance and the subsequent comments from EU members (France in particular) talking up the prospect of greater 'strategic autonomy' for the EU separate from the military and security interests of the US.