Lithuania’s statements about the possible expulsion of Russian diplomats are a provocation that has no reasonable basis. This opinion was expressed on April 22 by a member of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs Anton Morozov.
Morozov added that Lithuania, ostensibly showing solidarity with the Czech Republic, simply supports the anti-Russian scenario imposed by the West. At the same time, he noted that in fact the countries of Eastern Europe want to develop good-neighborly relations in Russia.
“I think this is part of one anti-Russian scenario that is being imposed on the countries of Eastern Europe from the outside. Obviously, this provocation … does not have the slightest reasonable basis, because if we are talking about the events of 2014, the tragic events for the Czech Republic, then the question arises why they waited so long – almost 7 years – and did not react in any way to possible involvement Russian diplomats. Therefore, in this situation, it is obvious that there is nothing to show solidarity with, “RIA Novosti quotes Morozov as saying.
The State Duma noted that such “demarches” should be responded to with restraint, realizing that other countries are trying to “drive a wedge between us and the states of Eastern Europe.”
Earlier that day, it became known that the Lithuanian authorities were discussing the possibility of expelling Russian diplomats from the embassy in Vilnius as a sign of solidarity with the Czech Republic.
Also on Thursday, Czech Foreign Minister Jakub Kulganeks said that the composition of the Russian Embassy in Prague would be reduced to the level of the republic’s diplomatic mission in Moscow. Thus, the Czech diplomat fulfilled his ultimatum to bring the number of the Russian diplomatic mission in Prague to “parity”, if Moscow does not decide by 13:00 (Moscow time) Thursday to return the employees of the Czech diplomatic mission declared persona non grata.
Relations between Russia and the Czech Republic have become strained after the Prime Minister of the country, Andrei Babis, announced on April 17 that the Russian special services were suspected of being involved 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, declared 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, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova called evidence of a lie. In the Czech Republic, the reaction of the Russian side was called stronger than expected.