Russia expels diplomats from Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) – In a tit-for-tat move, Russia on Tuesday expelled several diplomats from Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the ambassadors of the Baltic States were summoned to the ministry building and expressed "a strong protests" in connection with "provocative and unjustified" expulsion of the Russian diplomats.

Accreditations of four employees of the Lithuanian Embassy, three of the Latvian Embassy, and of three representatives of the Estonian Embassy and the Pskov Office of the Consulate General of Estonia in St. Petersburg were revoked, according to the statement.

The expelled diplomats are required to leave Russia "in the same time frame" that was given to the Russian diplomats for their departure from the Baltic countries, it said.

On March 18, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania simultaneously announced the expulsion of the Russian diplomats as a sign of solidarity with Ukraine.

Estonia and Latvia expelled three Russian diplomats each, and Lithuania declared four Russian diplomats persona non grata.