Russia declares Greece, Denmark, Slovakia, Slovenia and Croatia as “hostile countries”.

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The Russian government has declared Greece, Denmark, Slovakia, Slovenia and Croatia as “hostile countries” for their backing of Ukraine during the Russian invasion, in a decision that involves reducing the level of diplomatic contacts between Moscow and the affected countries.

Inclusion on the list also restricts the countries on the list from hiring Russian personnel in their embassies, consulates or representative missions. Thus, according to the new decree, “Greece has a limit of 34 persons, Denmark, 20, and Slovakia, 16, while Slovenia and Croatia cannot hire employees for their diplomatic missions and consular institutions.”

The United States and the Czech Republic were already subject to these restrictions in May 2021, recalls the Russian government, before pointing out that this blacklist is not yet closed and new countries could enter “given the constant hostile actions of foreign states”, according to the statement picked up by the Russian agency TASS.

“Naturally, being on the list of hostile countries implies a reduction in the level of contacts. This is a matter for the government; it is the government that makes that decision. And it is simply connected with the hostile manifestations of these states,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in this regard.