Russia Responds with Diplomatic Retaliation Against Estonia

On Thursday, Russia expelled an Estonian diplomat as a retaliatory measure following Estonia’s declaration of a Russian diplomat as persona non grata due to alleged activities that threatened the constitutional order of the Baltic nation and breached sanctions.

The Russian Foreign Ministry released a statement asserting that this action was in response to Estonia’s «unjustified» expulsion of a Russian diplomat back in August.

At that time, Estonia claimed that the expelled diplomat had been «actively and directly involved in activities undermining the constitutional order and legal system» of the country.

For decades, relations between Estonia and Russia have been strained, deteriorating significantly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Estonia, which gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, is one of Ukraine’s most fervent supporters.

Since February 2023, Russia has not appointed an ambassador in Tallinn, following Estonia’s expulsion of Moscow’s envoy in an earlier reciprocal action.