இரண்டு ரஷ்யர்கள் வெளிநாட்டு உளவாளிகளாக செயல்பட்டு வருகின்றனர் என்றும் அவர்கள் நாட்டை விட்டு ஏழு நாட்களுக்குள் வெளியேறவேண்டுமென்றும் பிரதமர் கூறியுள்ளார்.
சற்று முன் பிரதமர் மற்றும் வெளிவிவகார அமைச்சர் இணைந்து வெளியிட்ட கூட்டு அறிக்கையின்படி, இரண்டு ரஷ்ய இராஜதந்திரிகள் புலனாய்வு அதிகாரிகளாக அடையாளம் காணப்பட்டு, அவர்கள் ஏழு நாட்களுக்குள் ஆஸ்திரேலியாவை விட்டு வேயேற உத்தரவிடப்பட்டிருப்பதாக உறுதிப்படுத்தப்பட்டுள்ளது.
இதற்குப் பதில்நடவடிக்கையினை ரஷ்யா எடுக்கும்போது ஆஸ்திரேலியா மிகவும் மோசமாகப் பாதிக்கப்படுமென ரஷ்யாவின் Ambassador Grigory Logvinov தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.
100 க்கும் அதிகமான ரஷ்ய தூதர்கள் ஐரோப்பா, அமெரிக்கா மற்றும் பிரிட்டனின் நட்பு நாடுகளில் இருந்து வெளியேற்றப்பட்டதைத் தொடர்ந்து ஆஸ்திரேலியாவும் இங்குள்ள ரஷ்ய தூதர்கள் மீது நடவடிக்கை எடுத்துள்ளது.
The prime minister says the two Russians were acting as foreign spies and now have seven days to leave the country.
Two Russian diplomats accused of acting as foreign spies have been instructed to leave Australia within seven days, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has confirmed.
The expulsion is part of a global retaliation to the nerve agent attack on a double agent living in Britain, which Western nations have blamed on Russia. More than 100 Russian diplomats were expelled from the United States and Britain’s allies in Europe today.
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"Two Russian diplomats identified as undeclared intelligence officers will be expelled by the Australian Government for actions inconsistent with their status, pursuant to the Vienna Conventions," a statement from the prime minister and foreign minister Julie Bishop said.
"The two officials will be directed to depart Australia within seven days".
The statement said the decision reflected the "shocking nature of the attack".
"It takes into account advice from the UK Government that the substance used on 4 March was a military-grade nerve agent of a type developed by Russia. Such an attack cannot be tolerated by any sovereign nation. We strongly support the call on Russia to disclose the full extent of its chemical weapons program in accordance with international law."
The Russian Embassy in Canberra declined to comment when contacted by SBS News early on Tuesday morning.
Opposition leader Bill Shorten said he supported the move.
"The prime minister briefed me this morning and I have spoken to the security agencies. I am very supportive of this measure," the Labor leader told reporters.
Australia joins a global response
The United States joined Britain's allies in Europe and around the world Monday in expelling scores of suspected Russian spies in an unprecedented response to a nerve agent attack.
At least 114 alleged agents working under diplomatic cover were ordered out by 21 governments, dwarfing similar measures in even the most notorious Cold War spying disputes, and marking a British diplomatic victory.
Washington led the way, ordering out 60 Russians, in a new blow to US-Russia ties less than a week after President Donald Trump congratulated Vladimir Putin on his re-election.
Canada, Ukraine, Albania and most European Union states matched the move with smaller-scale expulsions, after Britain urged allies to respond to the poisoning of double agent Sergei Skripal.
Russia has denied it was behind the attempted assassination, which left Skripal and his daughter gravely ill in perhaps the first nerve agent attack in Europe since World War II.
It warned that there would be a tit-for-tat response to those countries "pandering to British authorities" without, Moscow claims, fully understanding what had happened.
But Western officials made it clear in announcing the expulsions that they share Britain's assessment that only the Kremlin could have been behind the March 4 incident in Salisbury, England.
White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said Washington and its allies were acting "in response to Russia's use of a military-grade chemical weapon on the soil of the United Kingdom."
The strong language contrasted with the warm words Trump shared with Putin last week, when he overrode his advisors' concerns and congratulated his opposite number Putin on his election win.
"The United States stands ready to cooperate to build a better relationship with Russia, but this can only happen with a change in the Russian government's behavior," Ms Sanders said.
- with wires
