Russia on Monday announced the expulsion of the Estonian ambassador, denouncing Tallinn’s “total Russophobia” after 21 Russian diplomats and other Russian embassy employees were expelled in early January.
Russians and Westerners have multiplied expulsions of diplomats in recent years, and even more so since Russian forces attacked Ukraine on February 24, 2022. But this is the first time an ambassador has been taken back to his country, in an offensive manner.
“The Ambassador of the Republic of Estonia is scheduled to leave Russia on February 7, 2023,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the level of diplomatic relations will be lowered to that of the chargé d’affaires.
“In recent years, the Estonian leadership has deliberately destroyed all relations with Russia. Total Russophobia and the culture of hostility towards our country has been elevated to the rank of state policy by Tallinn,” he continued.
According to Moscow, the expulsion of Russian diplomats announced by Estonia on January 11 confirmed “the policy of destroying relations” between the two countries.
“Full responsibility for the development of this situation in Russian-Estonian relations lies with the Estonian side. We will continue to respond to the hostile actions of the Estonian leadership,” the Russian ministry said.
Estonia, which supports Ukraine in its conflict with Russia and with which there have been many points of friction since the dissolution of the USSR, justified the expulsions with the fact that diplomatic personnel from both countries in Tallinn and in Tallinn had to “achieve parity” in Moscow and Moscow, respectively.
Last April, Russia ordered the closure of the Estonian consulates in Saint Petersburg and Pskov, declaring their staff “persona non grata”.
Moscow made its decision after the three Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania expelled Russian diplomats after the offensive in Ukraine.
Russia has expelled several diplomats since the conflict began, notably 34 French in May and 14 Bulgarians in August.