Estonia and Latvia expel Russian ambassadors as uneasy ties rupture
Tensions between Russia and Baltic EU member countries Estonia and Latvia have escalated following Moscow’s decision to expel Estonia’s ambassador, Politico reports.
The Russian foreign ministry cited “Russophobia” and Estonia’s reduction of Russian embassy staff in the country as the reasons for the move. The diplomatic row comes as EU foreign ministers met in Brussels to discuss Russian aggression towards Ukraine, with the Baltic countries calling for tougher sanctions and approving tanks for Ukraine.
Russia and Estonia have both expelled ambassadors from each other’s countries in a tit-for-tat move, with Latvia also announcing it would downgrade diplomatic relations with Moscow in a show of solidarity with Estonia.