Russia Expels Estonian Diplomat in Tit-for-Tat Move

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Russia on Thursday expelled an Estonian diplomat in retaliation for Tallinn declaring a Russian diplomat persona non grata over alleged activities undermining the Baltic country’s constitutional order and violating sanctions.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the move was a response to Estonia’s “groundless” expulsion of a Russian diplomat in August.

At the time, Estonia said the diplomat it expelled had been “directly and actively involved in undermining the constitutional order and legal system of Estonia.”

Relations between Estonia and Russia have been tense for decades and worsened dramatically after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Estonia, which declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, is among Ukraine’s staunchest supporters.

Russia has not had an ambassador in Tallinn since February 2023, when Estonia expelled Moscow’s envoy in a previous tit-for-tat move.

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