A suspected Russian diplomat is occupying a proposed embassy site vetoed by Australia

By ROD McGUIRK
Associated Press

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — A suspected Russian diplomat is apparently squatting on the site of Moscow’s proposed new embassy in Canberra that the Australian government has vetoed. Parliament passed emergency legislation last week blocking Russia’s lease on security grounds. Russia is expected to try to overturn that legislation in court. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese dismissed the Russian act of defiance in occupying the site, saying a “bloke standing in the cold on a bit of grass in Canberra is not a threat to our national security.” A man has been living on the site in a portable building since Sunday. The Russian Embassy refused to comment on reports that the man is a Russian diplomat.