NATO expelling 7 Russians

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance is expelling 7 staff from Russia’s mission and denying accreditation to 3 more, per NATO.

• Why it matters: "Russia will have a reduced capability to do intelligence work in NATO countries,” Stoltenberg said. NATO's move comes amid a unified response to the nerve agent attack on a former Russian spy and his daughter in England. The U.S. is expelling 60 suspected intelligence operatives, with 24 other countries also expelling Russians.
• Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov claimed European countries are effectively being blackmailed by the U.S. into taking such steps, per BBC. Russia has said there will be a tit-for-tat response over what it's calling a "grave mistake" by the West.
• Go deeper: U.K. floated idea of 60 Russian expulsions before Trump's move.