On March 19, the Estonian Foreign Ministry announced that an employee of the Russian Embassy in Tallinn was “unwelcome.”
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| Russian Embassy in Tallinn, Estonia. (Source: TASS) |
The ministry said it had summoned the Russian Charge d'Affaires to formally hand over a diplomatic note regarding the expulsion decision.
AFP quoted Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna as saying: "Through the decision of diplomatic expulsion, we do not allow any activities organized by foreign countries on our territory."
According to Mr. Tsahkna, the Russian Embassy interfered in Estonia's internal affairs, "more precisely, in the judicial process, when they obtained documents of a criminal case and contributed to posting them on Russian social media."
Estonia said it would discuss the issue with partners and allies and was "ready to take additional measures as necessary to protect society and values" of the country.
However, Foreign Minister Tsahkna did not provide further details.
On the same day, THX reported that in response to Estonia's decision, the Russian Foreign Ministry affirmed that Moscow will respond appropriately.
Estonia-Russia bilateral relations deteriorated after Moscow launched a special military operation in Ukraine in February 2022. The two sides downgraded diplomatic relations to the level of charge d'affaires since the beginning of 2023.
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