The Czech Foreign Ministry considers it inappropriate to expel the Russian ambassador from the country

At present, it is not advisable to expel the Russian ambassador to the Czech Republic, although officials and politicians have been talking about this since the beginning of the special operation in Ukraine, Martin Dvorak, deputy foreign minister of the republic, said. His words leads Czech TV.

He stated this during the debate that took place between him and former Czech Foreign Minister Lubomir Zaoralek. “The issue of expelling the ambassador is so sensitive and of such heavy caliber that we still feel that the time has not yet come to get this heaviest weapon,” Dvorak said (quoted by RIA Novosti).

According to him, the Czech Republic has already taken the most decisive steps in Europe towards Russia – the number of embassy employees in the country was reduced from 45 to six people. Zaoralek agreed with Dvořák and noted that diplomacy should have alternatives, because “in the end, you always have to discuss something at the table.”

Also during the broadcast, the Deputy Foreign Minister said that anti-Russian sanctions are working, since Russia’s revenues, for example, from the sale of oil, have decreased. He stressed that it remains to close the “holes” that allow to circumvent the sanctions regime. As an example, Dvořák cited an almost twofold increase in the Czech Republic’s foreign trade with “one of the Transcaucasian countries.”

After the start of the Russian military operation in Ukraine, a number of countries began to expel Russian diplomatic workers. In mid-March 2022, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia did this. Riga and Tallinn expelled three employees of the Russian embassy each, four were expelled from Lithuania. On the same day, Bulgaria declared ten employees of the Russian Foreign Ministry persona non grata in connection with activities “incompatible with their status.” On March 23, the Polish Foreign Ministry decided to expel 45 Russian diplomats on suspicion of espionage. On March 28, North Macedonia demanded the expulsion of five Russian diplomats.

January 11, 2023 Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs demanded reduce the staff of the Russian diplomatic mission in Tallinn from 21 diplomats and 23 other employees to 8 diplomats and 15 service personnel. Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu then called the size of the Russian representation “unjustified” and stated the need to equalize the number of diplomatic missions of both countries. January 23 Russian Foreign Ministry called Ambassador of Estonia Margus Laidre and announced to him that the level of diplomatic representative in both countries was reduced to charge d’affaires, the ambassador had to leave the country by February 7.

February 1 Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis declaredthat there is no point in keeping Russian embassies in Europe.