Russia To Shut Swedish Consulate, Expel Five Diplomats

Swedish Ambassador to Russia Malena Mard presents her credentials to Russia's President Vladimir Putin during a ceremony at the Moscow Kremlin's Alexander Hall in February 2020.

Moscow said on May 25 that it was expelling five Swedish diplomats and closing Russia's general consulate in Gothenburg and Sweden's diplomatic mission in St. Petersburg. The Russian Foreign Ministry said that Swedish Ambassador Malena Mard had been summoned and informed of Moscow's retaliatory measures over her country's "confrontational course." "A decision was made to declare five Swedish diplomats persona non grata," the ministry said. The move came after Sweden said in late April it was expelling five Russian diplomats for "activities not compatible" with their diplomatic status.