(Reuters) – Russia stated on Monday it was downgrading diplomatic relations with NATO member Estonia, accusing Tallinn of “complete Russophobia”.
The Russian International Ministry stated it had informed the Estonian envoy he should depart subsequent month, and each nations could be represented in one another’s capitals by an interim cost d’affaires as a substitute of an envoy.
It stated this was in response to an Estonian transfer to cut back the scale of the Russian embassy in Tallinn.
“Lately, the Estonian management has purposefully destroyed all the vary of relations with Russia. Whole Russophobia, the cultivation of hostility in direction of our nation have been elevated by Tallinn to the rank of state coverage,” it stated.
Estonia and its Baltic neighbours Latvia and Lithuania have been amongst a gaggle of NATO allies arguing strongly for Germany to offer its Leopard battle tanks to spice up Ukraine in preventing off Russia’s invasion.
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Estonia joined different Ukrainian allies final week in sending extra weapons of its personal.
Commenting on the downgrading of ties, Russian International Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated: “The Estonian regime has received what it deserved.”
(Reporting by Reuters; Modifying by Gareth Jones)
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