Moscow To Respond To Expulsion Of Diplomats From Latvia, Estonia - Foreign Ministry

Moscow will respond to the expulsion of Russian diplomats from Latvia and Estonia, and to the closure of consulates, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Tuesday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 05th April, 2022) Moscow will respond to the expulsion of Russian diplomats from Latvia and Estonia, and to the closure of consulates, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Tuesday.

Earlier in the day, Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics announced that Riga has decided to close Russian consulates in Liepaja and Daugavpils and expel 13 diplomats over Moscow's military operation in Ukraine.

The Estonian Foreign Ministry also summoned Russian Ambassador Vladimir Lipaev earlier in the day to announce the closure of the Russian consulate general in Narva and the embassy office in Tartu as well as the expulsion of 14 Russian diplomats, declaring them persona non grata.

"As the Russian side stated earlier, Moscow will give an appropriate response," Zakharova said.

On February 24, Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine after the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk appealed for help in defending themselves against Ukrainian provocations. In response to Russia's operation, Western countries have rolled out a comprehensive sanctions campaign against Moscow.