Bloomberg reports that Sergei Lavrov said Russia has shifted much of its diplomatic corps from Europe to Africa after being forced to cut staff in European capitals. Moscow reduced its presence in Europe and the UK by roughly 120–150 employees, redeploying about 90% of them to African postings and reopening around a dozen embassies. The move follows the mass expulsion of Russian diplomats by Western countries after Vladimir Putin launched the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. According to state-run Tass calculations, at least 574 Russian diplomats were declared persona non grata in the first year of the war. The redeployment underscores Moscow’s strategic pivot toward Africa as relations with Europe remain confrontational.
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Bloomberg reports that Sergei Lavrov said Russia has shifted much of its diplomatic corps from Europe to Africa after being forced to cut staff in European capitals. Moscow reduced its presence in Europe and the UK by roughly 120–150 employees, redeploying about 90% of them to African postings and reopening around a dozen embassies. The move follows the mass expulsion of Russian diplomats by Western countries after Vladimir Putin launched the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. According to state-run Tass calculations, at least 574 Russian diplomats were declared persona non grata in the first year of the war. The redeployment underscores Moscow’s strategic pivot toward Africa as relations with Europe remain confrontational.