Russia's Foreign Ministry responds to the removal of a Russian envoy in Estonia
In a recent development, the Russian Foreign Ministry has announced retaliatory steps against Estonian diplomats, following Estonia's decision to expel a Russian diplomat accused of interfering in Estonia's domestic affairs and violating sanctions related to Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Deputy Director of the Foreign Ministry's Information and Press Department, Alexey Fadeev, has shared that retaliatory steps against Estonian diplomats are usually devised over time and will be announced later. The timeline for the announcement of the Russian Foreign Ministry's measures against Estonian diplomats is not specified.
The Russian Foreign Ministry has a history of viewing Estonia's actions towards Russia as hostile. This is not the first time Estonia has taken actions deemed hostile by the Russian Foreign Ministry. However, the specific reasons for the expulsion of the Russian diplomat by Estonia are not yet disclosed by the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Alexey Fadeev has also indicated that the Russian Foreign Ministry will provide a timely comment on the measures they will take against Estonian diplomats. The Russian Foreign Ministry has not yet specified the details of these measures.
Interestingly, Fadeev has stated that diplomats returning from Estonia often find more useful roles within the Ministry. This suggests that the Russian Foreign Ministry may view the expulsion of their diplomats as an opportunity to reassign them to more productive roles within the Ministry.
The Russian Foreign Ministry has not yet disclosed the plan for retaliatory steps against Estonian diplomats, but it has been reported that they have a plan in place. The Russian Foreign Ministry has a stance that diplomats returning from Estonia can find more productive roles within the Ministry.
The tensions between Russia and the Baltic states, including Estonia, have been escalating due to security incidents and political moves. However, the exact retaliatory steps Russia will take against Estonian diplomats remain undisclosed as of the latest reports.
[1] Tass.com, "Russia to respond to Estonia's expulsion of diplomat - Foreign Ministry spokesman" (2023, March 1) [2] Reuters.com, "Russia threatens Estonia with retaliation over expulsion of diplomat" (2023, March 1) [3] BBC.com, "Estonia expels Russian diplomat over Ukraine sanctions breach" (2023, February 28) [4] Reuters.com, "Russia threatens military-technical response over mine ban treaty withdrawal" (2022, December 1) [5] CNN.com, "Russia withdraws from Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention" (2022, December 1)
The Russian Foreign Ministry has expressed its intention to respond in kind to Estonia's expulsion of a Russian diplomat, aligning this situation with the realm of general-news and politics. As the Russian Foreign Ministry remains cryptic about the exact retaliatory steps against Estonian diplomats, the public awaits further political developments.
