Estonia expels Russian diplomats, clearly stating one thing, what does Moscow say?

On March 19, the Estonian Foreign Ministry declared that an employee of the Russian Embassy in Tallinn was "persona non grata".

The office of the Russian Embassy in Tallinn, Estonia. (Source: TASS)

The ministry said it had summoned the Russian chargé d'affaires to formally hand over the diplomatic note regarding the expulsion decision.

AFP quoted Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna as saying: "Through this 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, by obtaining documents from a criminal case and contributing to the posting of those documents on Russian social media."

Estonia affirmed that it would discuss the issue with its partners and allies, and "is ready to take additional measures as needed to protect its society and national values."

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 would respond appropriately.

Bilateral relations between Estonia and Russia deteriorated after Moscow launched a special military operation in Ukraine in February 2022. The two sides downgraded diplomatic relations to chargé d'affaires status at the beginning of 2023.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/estonia-truc-xuat-nhan-vien-ngoai-giao-nga-to-thai-do-ro-rang-ve-mot-viec-moscow-noi-gi-264756.html