By announcing the expulsion of Russian diplomats as a sign of solidarity with the Czech Republic, the Baltic states only worsen relations with Russia. Vladimir Dzhabarov, First Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs, told Izvestia on Friday, April 23.
“I’m not very sure that Old Europe will follow the Czech example. Pay attention: Russian diplomats are expelled either by countries that were formerly part of the Soviet Union – the Baltic states, or former members of the Warsaw Pact – Slovakia, Czech Republic, Poland, ”he said.
Dzhabarov expressed the hope that all expulsions will not go unanswered by Russia. According to the senator, these countries are used to being close to a “strong state”: they used to have the USSR, now the USA. He noted that they are currently trying to be “loyal allies of the Americans.”
“But I think that they will not receive special laurels here. They only worsen relations with our country, without receiving anything in return: the United States will not provide them with any privileges and advantages, ”the senator added.
Earlier that day, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that diplomats from Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia may already begin to guess which of them will leave Moscow in the near future.
On April 23, the Estonian Foreign Ministry announced the expulsion of the Russian diplomat as a sign of solidarity with the Czech Republic. Also on Friday, Latvia and Lithuania announced the expulsion of Russian diplomats.
On the eve of the Prime Minister of Slovakia, Eduard Heger, said that the country is expelling three employees of the Russian Embassy. This decision was explained by “reaction to recent events in the geopolitical sphere” and solidarity with the Czech Republic.
Relations between Moscow and Prague became strained after the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Andrei Babis on April 17 announced suspicions of the Russian special services of alleged involvement in an explosion at an ammunition depot in Vrbetica in 2014. On the same day, the Czech Republic decided to expel 18 Russian diplomats.
Moscow, in response, announced 20 employees of the Czech embassy in the Russian Federation persona non grata. The accusations in Russia were categorically denied, and the fact that Prague does not publish a report on the explosion, Zakharova called evidence of a lie. In the Czech Republic, this reaction from the Russian side was called stronger than expected.
On April 20, the foreign ministers of the Visegrad group (Poland, Slovakia and Hungary) expressed solidarity with the latest actions taken by the Czech authorities with respect to Russia, it became known the day before. The Foreign Ministers stressed that they condemn all actions that threaten the security of sovereign countries and their citizens. Prior to that, it became known that the Czech authorities called on the allies in the EU and NATO to also expel Russian diplomats as a sign of solidarity. Prior to that, it became known that the Czech authorities called on the allies in the EU and NATO to also expel Russian diplomats as a sign of solidarity.