Estonian Foreign Ministry announces expulsion of Russian diplomat

Estonia has declared the Russian diplomat persona non grata, he must leave the country by March 29. This was reported on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic.

“Today, March 24, the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Charge d’Affaires of the Russian Embassy and handed over a diplomatic note declaring a diplomatic employee of the Embassy persona non grata,” says in the message.

The country’s authorities do not disclose the name of the diplomat, who is ordered to leave the republic before March 29. The Estonian Foreign Ministry explained that by his actions he violated the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. The released statement said that the diplomat allegedly “undermined the security and constitutional order of Estonia, disseminated propaganda justifying Russia’s military actions, and tried to split the Estonian society.”

At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation reportedthat the answer to the decision of Tallinn to expel the Russian diplomat will follow.

January 23 Russia lowered diplomatic level with Estonia and announced the expulsion of Ambassador Margus Laidre. The diplomat left Russia on 7 February. The Russian Foreign Ministry pointed to total Russophobia on the part of Tallinn, as well as hostility towards the Russian Federation. In response to the decision of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Estonia statedthat the Russian ambassador to the republic, Vladimir Lipaev, must also leave Tallinn before February 7.