Fourteen EU countries on Monday sent Russian diplomats backing the UK's conclusions that Moscow is responsible for poisoning former scout Sergei Skripal.

"Already today, fourteen member countries have decided to send Russian diplomats," said European Council President Donald Tusk at a press conference in Varna. - It is possible that in the coming days and weeks additional measures will be taken, including further sanctions in the general format of the EU ".

After the United States on the expulsion of four diplomats announced Germany. Two diplomats have been deported from Italy, the Netherlands and Denmark. France announced the expulsion of four diplomats. Estonia has decided to send the Russian military attache, the Czech Republic - three employees of the Russian embassy. Lithuania expelled three Russian diplomats and banned the entry of another 44 Russian officials. Latvia intends to expel one diplomat. This decision is part of the coordinated response of the European allies of Britain and the United States to Russia's actions.

As the Foreign Minister of Denmark, Anders Samuelsen, said, it is also planned to consider economic sanctions in cooperation with other EU countries.

Recall last week, EU leaders said that evidence of Russia's involvement in the attempt at the Skripal, presented by Prime Minister Teresa Mei, is a solid basis for further action.

As the correspondent of Voice of America, Jamie Detmer, coordinated the expulsion of diplomats on a scale unprecedented since the Cold War, prompted immediate condemnation from the Kremlin, which promised to give a mirror response.

Day of dramatic events began with the fact that the ministries of foreign affairs of the three Baltic countries - Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia, as well as Poland - called Russian ambassadors.

Some representatives of the EU proposed to postpone a coordinated response out of respect for the victims during the Sunday tragedy in Siberia, where a fire in a shopping center killed 64 people, including 11 children.

The first reports of the call of Russian ambassadors appeared in Moscow: authorities told reporters that a series of meetings could start a coordinated expulsion of diplomats.

The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, dealt a warning blow by writing in Facebook about "loyal subjects of political support for London by the EU countries".

On a private basis, some Russian officials admitted that they were surprised at the scale of the actions, noting that Britain had not yet proved the Kremlin's involvement in the poisoning of the Fiddles.

After Britain received unexpectedly strong diplomatic support at the summit of EU leaders who agreed that Russia was "highly likely" to be responsible for poisoning, the chances for a collective response rose sharply.

Britain sent 23 Russian diplomats, Russia expelled the same number of British.

In an effort to protect their relations with Russia, some countries, including Austria, Greece and Italy, made it clear that they do not want to participate in the collective response. The split within the bureaucratic structures of the EU became evident last week when the chairman of the European Council Donald Tusk did not congratulate Vladimir Putin on his reelection, and the head of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, sent congratulations to Putin.

Against the background of expulsion of diplomats from other countries, British Defense Minister Gavin Williamson said that the West's support in this situation "in itself is a defeat for President Putin". Speaking during a visit to the British military in Estonia, he said:

"The patience of the whole world against President Putin and his actions is dwindling, and the fact that both NATO members and EU members supported the United Kingdom is in my view the best possible response".

The Russian government in response called the accusations of Britain "bordering on banditry".

Now the question is how Russia will react.

In January 2017, Putin announced the cessation of activities in Russia 755 US diplomatic staff after Congress passed a bill toughening sanctions against Russia in connection with the annexation of the Crimea and interference in the American elections.