Among the many intriguing subplots to have arisen from the Ukraine invasion has been the widespread expulsion of Russian “diplomats” from European embassies. Reflecting the trend, the cover design for this week’s Guardian Weekly magazine captures a creeping anxiety across Europe, where Russian “diplomats” have more latterly been seen as agents of division and disinformation.
As Patrick Wintour writes, the expulsions are not just a symbolic act of revulsion at Moscow’s activities but part of a decades-long battle to balance Russian espionage with diplomacy. The west has been accused of neglecting a recent rise in clandestine Russian activities – in the light of the invasion, is it all too little, too late?
