The diplomatic relations between Russia and Estonia were downgraded on Monday after the latter’s ambassador was told to leave Russia, as the country was accused of “complete Russophobia”.
As the Estonian ambassador was expelled, Russia’s foreign ministry said on Monday that the charge d’affaires would lead the country’s diplomatic representation.
“The Estonian Republic’s ambassador will have to leave the Russian Federation on February 7,” the foreign ministry said in a statement, adding that Estonia’s diplomatic position will be degraded from now on.
According to the statement, the action was implemented after Estonia decreased personnel numbers at the Russian embassy in Tallinn.
The move was made in retribution for Estonia’s “new unfriendly step to significantly diminish the size of the Russian Embassy in Tallinn,” according to the ministry.
“In recent years, the Estonian leadership has purposefully destroyed the entire range of relations with Russia. Total Russophobia, the cultivation of hostility towards our country have been elevated by Tallinn to the rank of state policy,” read the statement issued by the Russian foreign ministry on Monday.
Earlier this month, the Estonian foreign ministry requested that Russia reduce the number of staff at the embassy to eight diplomats and 15 technical, service, and administrative personnel in order to “achieve parity in embassy staff” by February 1.
In a statement issued on January 11, Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu stated that Estonia’s bilateral relations with Moscow had been reduced “to the absolute minimum” since Russia sent soldiers to occupy Ukrainian territories.
“Now we are setting a limit to the number of Russian diplomats working in Estonia in order to achieve parity. Today’s step is in correlation with the low point of our relations in general,” the minister said.
