Russia expels 5 Polish diplomats in retaliation

The Russian Foreign Ministry said Friday that it is expelling five staffers of the Polish embassy in Moscow in response to the expulsion of three Russian diplomats from Warsaw last week, reported Xinhua.

The ministry said in a statement that it summoned Polish Ambassador to Russia Krzysztof Krajewski earlier in the day and declared the five people "persona non grata," who must leave Russia by the end of May 15.

The ministry strongly protested to Krajewski against Poland's decision to expel the three Russian diplomats "under an absurd pretext" to express solidarity with the United States.

"This confirmed once again that Warsaw is deliberately pursuing a path towards further degradation and destruction of our bilateral relations," the statement read.