Estonia Announces Expulsion of 21 Russian Diplomatic Staff

INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Estonia announced the expulsion of 21 Russian diplomats and embassy personnel in order to reach parity in between the 2 countries
diplomatic personnel on Wednesday.Tensions between Russiaand its European neighbors have increased given that Moscow got into Ukraine last
year.The number of positions at Russias embassy in Tallinn and Estonias diplomatic mission in Moscow would now be equal, the foreign
ministry added.The expelled individuals have been provided until the end of the month to leave Estonia
There are no grounds for the existing size of the Russian embassy, Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu said
The Russian embassy in Tallinn will be lowered to 8 diplomatic positions and 15 administrative, technical, and service staff members
Last April, Russia purchased the Estonian consulates in St
Petersburg and the western Russian city of Pskov to close and stated their staff personality non grata
Moscow took the choice in a tit-for-tat relocation after Estonia joined its Baltic next-door neighbors Latvia and Lithuania in expelling
Russian diplomats over Moscows intrusion of Ukraine.