Diplomatic warfare: how much more will the relationship between Europe and Russia deteriorate?

In just 48 hours, almost 200 diplomats russians They were expelled from various European countriesin retaliation for the massacre attributed to the military forces of that country against civilians Ukrainians in Bucha, near kyiv.

Although the Kremlin has indicated that it is a montage, the world continues to be outraged at the crude images released. In recent weeks, several European countries had already expelled Russian officials from their diplomatic missions, but the siege intensified, especially from Germany, France, Denmark, Italy, Sweden, Spain and the Baltic countries.

READ ALSO: Everything you need to know about war crimes and how Putin could be brought to justice

Moscow has already said that it is a “planned campaign” and that it will respond to the wave of expulsions, but the truth is that, for now, there seems to be no turning point in relations between Russia and Western Europe.

Ukrainian Ludmyla Verginska, 51, cries during the funeral of her friend Igor Lytvynenko, who Bucha residents say was executed by Russian soldiers. REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra (ZOHRA BENSEMRA/)

“This will inevitably entail retaliatory measures”said Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov.

The head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, announced on Tuesday that several members of the representation of Russia before the EU, because of “activities contrary” to their status as diplomats, without specifying either the number or the date of their expulsion.

According to an AFP tally, about 300 Russian diplomats have been expelled in total from various European Union countries since the start of the Russian offensive in late February.

READ ALSO: In Bucha, “cruel Russians” shot “a man who was going to the supermarket”

Thus, diplomatic relations between Russia and the rest of Europe continue to decline. Can they be repaired in the medium term?

“The way things are today, it is difficult because every day sanctions against Russia”, Responds to El Comercio Ani De la Quintana, associate director of Control Risks, a global risk management consultancy.

“It will be very complicated in the short and medium term as there are many milestones to be achieved, from the ceasefire, the withdrawal of Russian military forces from Ukrainian territory, through the fluidity of humanitarian corridors and investigations into war crimes”he adds.

READ ALSO: How Putin’s war has caused a brain drain and affects the lives of thousands in Russia

Spanish police officers guard the entrance to the Russian embassy in Madrid, after the Spanish government expelled 25 Russian diplomats in retaliation for the invasion of Ukraine. REUTERS/Susana Vera (SUSANA VERA/)

The boycott grows

But it’s not just expelled diplomats. In a very categorical gesture, the majority of the representatives of the 57 member countries of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) boycotted a meeting when the Russian ambassador took the floor and denied that the Moscow troops had committed any Bucha massacre.

“Leaving the room as Russian diplomats launched shameful propaganda and denied the reality of the massacres in Bucha by the Russian armed forces that have been reported”said the French ambassador, Christine Fages, in a message on Twitter.

Walkout from #OSCE ambassadors including @chfages when Russian diplomats delivered a shameful propaganda and denied the reality of reported #BuchaMassacre by #Russian armed forces. An empty room for empty words. That’s all Russian #lies deserve. #FactsMatter #StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/uAXrxOEc1V

— La France à l’OSCE ???????? ???????? (@RP_France_OSCE) April 5, 2022

“An empty room for empty words. That’s all the Russian lies deserve.”added the French diplomat.

READ ALSO: Zelensky asks the UN Security Council to act “immediately” in Ukraine

“For years, Russia it has not been as isolated as it is now,” historian Norberto Barreto told this newspaper. “The international order cannot run the risk of not having Russiabut obviously right now Russia he is an outcast”he adds.

Regarding the case of the Baltic countries, such as Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which have also expelled Russian diplomats, Barreto recalls that they voluntarily joined NATO “because for them their historical threat has always been Russiaand obviously they choose to enter NATO and now they are coming to the conclusion that it was the best deal they did, because they saw that it was the best way to guarantee their security against a possible Russian expansion”.

However, Barreto states that although most Western countries have condemned Russiathere are others who are keeping a prudent distance in favor of their own interests, such as China, India and Israel.

Source: Elcomercio