(ANSA-AFP) - MOSCOW, APR 28 - Moscow on Wednesday expelled
seven European diplomats after their countries ordered Russian
diplomats to leave in solidarity with the Czech Republic, which
is engulfed in a diplomatic row with Russia. The Czech
government this month accused Russian secret services of being
behind a deadly explosion at an arms depot in eastern Czech
Republic in 2014. It expelled a number of Russian diplomats over
the allegations, with Slovakia and the Baltic states of Estonia,
Latvia and Lithuania following suit in solidarity. Russia's
foreign ministry on Tuesday said in a statement that a total of
four diplomats from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have been
declared "persona non grata" and must leave the country within
seven days. It added that the Baltic states "continue to conduct
an openly hostile course towards our country, in this case
hiding behind pseudosolidarity with the indiscriminate actions
of the Czech Republic towards Russia". In a separate statement,
the ministry also announced the expulsion of three Slovak
diplomats, who must leave by May 5, and accused Bratislava of
"false solidarity" with Prague. (ANSA-AFP).
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