The diplomatic war begun by the West against Russia continues to gain momentum, and more countries are announcing the expulsion of Russian embassy workers. Against this background, with an unexpected statement made by the Prime Minister of Belgium, Charles Michel. On Tuesday, March 27, he announced that the response measures from the European Union and NATO in connection with the Skripal case should not be perceived as decisions taken by the Belgian government, RIA Novosti reports.. The situation is complicated by the fact that Russian diplomats in Brussels are also accredited with the EU and NATO, so if Russia takes retaliatory measures, the mass deportation of the diplomatic corps "will strip the Belgian diplomatic mission" in Russia. In the English city of Salisbury on March 4, the former GRU officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were poisoned. The British authorities said that the incident was Russia, without giving any evidence to prove this statement.

The European Union has already withdrawn its ambassador to the Russian Federation for consultations, but has not yet announced sanctions against the staff of Russia's permanent mission to the EU.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on March 27 that due to the case of Skripal more than 25 countries of the alliance are expelled by Russian diplomats, in addition, 7 employees of Russia's Permanent Mission to NATO in Brussels will be expelled. The US authorities announced on March 26 that 48 Russian diplomats, 12 mission members at the UN are expelling, and close the Russian Consulate General in Seattle.