Estonia removes Russian ambassador due to meddling and alleged state offenses
In a significant move, Estonia has expelled Dmitry Prilepin, the first secretary of the Russian Embassy in Tallinn, for interfering in Estonia's domestic affairs, acting against its constitutional order and legal framework, and engaging in offenses related to sanctions violations linked to Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
The expulsion follows accusations by Estonia's Foreign Ministry that the diplomat sought to undermine the country's sovereignty, foment societal division, and contribute to "crimes against the state." At least one Estonian citizen has been convicted in connection with these activities, although the ministry did not provide detailed information about the offenses or sanctions violated.
Margus Tsahkna, Estonia's Foreign Minister, emphasized that this expulsion was a clear message that Estonia would not tolerate foreign-state-orchestrated actions undermining its sovereignty. Moscow has announced it will take retaliatory measures in response to the expulsion.
This action aligns with a broader regional trend where Baltic states have been expelling Russian diplomats for alleged espionage, subversion, and interference since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Relations between Estonia and Russia have remained icy since Estonia's independence in 1991, and have deteriorated significantly in recent years, particularly following Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Notably, this is not the first hostile act between the two nations. The Russian foreign ministry deputy press and information director, Alexey Fadeev, has stated that Estonia's expulsion of a Russian diplomat is not unprecedented. Fadeev has warned that Russia will provide comment on retaliatory measures against Estonian diplomats in due time.
In a separate incident, a Greek-owned oil tanker was released by Russia after a brief detention near Estonia. The exact reasons for the detention are not clear.
In an effort to address overcrowding, Sweden and Estonia have reached a deal for Sweden to rent prison cells from Estonia. The details of this arrangement are yet to be disclosed.
[1] Estonian Foreign Ministry statement on expulsion of Russian diplomat. (2023). Retrieved from https://vm.ee/en/news/statement-expulsion-russian-diplomat [2] Estonia expels Russian diplomat for alleged espionage. (2023). Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-64844047 [3] Baltic states expel Russian diplomats over Ukraine. (2023). Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/baltic-states-expel-russian-diplomats-over-ukraine-2023-03-15/ [4] Estonia expels Russian diplomat over Ukraine. (2023). Retrieved from https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/3/15/estonia-expels-russian-diplomat-over-ukraine [5] Estonia expels Russian diplomat over Ukraine. (2023). Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/15/world/europe/estonia-russia-diplomat.html
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