Germany, Poland and Sweden have each expelled a Russian diplomat in a coordinated act of retaliation over the expulsion of three EU officials by Moscow while the bloc’s foreign policy chief was visiting last week, writes The Guardian.

The tit-for-tat expulsions on Monday underscored the volatility in east-west relations and an erosion of trust among former cold war foes, as the west accuses Moscow of trying to destabilize it and the Kremlin rejects what it sees as foreign interference.

The German foreign ministry said its diplomat expelled from Moscow had merely been "observing developments in Russia by lawful means", in line with diplomatic conventions.