Russia-Ukraine war: Russia expels 10 diplomats from Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia

The Russian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday has expelled at least 10 diplomats from Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia in a tit-for-tat move. This came after the Ministry summoned three ambassadors of the Baltic countries following the expulsion of several Russian diplomats by the countries amid the invasion. According to a report by TASS, the Ambassadors of Estonia and Latvia and Lithuania were summoned to the Foreign Ministry on Tuesday afternoon. As per the news agency, the Russian foreign ministry summoned the ambassadors were summoned to the Foreign Ministry in connection.

"By 12:00, three Baltic ambassadors were summoned to the Foreign Ministry in connection with the Russian decision, based on the principle of reciprocity, to expel their diplomats," TASS quoted an official familiar with the developments. "We've invited, we've arrived, we'll listen," Latvian Ambassador Maris Riekstins told the media before proceeding to the building. "Based on the principle of reciprocity Moscow will be expelling four diplomats from the Lithuanian embassy and three each from the Latvian and Estonian embassies, Times of Israel quoted a ministry statement on Tuesday.

Earlier this month, Estonia and Latvia expelled three Russian diplomats due to Russia's action against its neighbouring country, Ukraine. Subsequently, Lithuania has also declared four employees of the Russian embassy 'persona non grata'.Notably, a persona non grata is a status applied by a host country to foreign diplomats to remove their protection by diplomatic immunity from arrest and other normal kinds of prosecution.

Earlier on March 23, Belarus, Russia's closest ally, announced that most Ukrainian diplomats working in the country will be expelled, accusing Kyiv of "intervention" in its internal affairs. Further, Belarusian authorities have decided to close the Ukrainian Consulate General in Brest, according to the Belarusian Foreign Ministry. The authorities said that the Ukrainian consulate in Brest, in western Belarus, is being closed "due to the effective absence of staff."

Russia-Ukraine war 

Russia initiated a full-fledged war against Ukraine nearly two days after Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree recognising the independence of breakaway regions Donetsk and Luhansk. Putin's action came despite the West's repetitive warning and speculations about his ill intention to invade Ukraine. On February 24, the Russian troops started a military operation against Ukraine. Since then, it has been bombarding several cities in Ukraine, resulting in the killing of thousands of civilians. On Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appealed to his Russian counterpart to end the war immediately but added that he would not let the Russian forces take a single piece of Ukrainian land.