US & EU expel Russian diplomats over attack on ex-spy

The United States on Monday expelled 60 Russian officials and ordered the closure of the Russian consulate in Seattle, as bilateral ties between the nuclear powers continue to deteriorate over poisoning an ex-spy in Britain.

Of the 60 officials being asked to leave, 48 are posted at the Russian embassy and 12 are at the Russian mission to the United Nations in New York. U.S administration officials said Russian officials and their families have been given seven days to leave the U.S.

14 EU states have also expelled Russian diplomats in a coordinated response to the nerve agent attack on a former spy in the British city of Salisbury.