Moscow reacted to the expulsion of the consul from Odessa without delight
The announcement of the acting Consul General of Russia in Odessa as persona non grata “did not cause delight” in Moscow. The Russian Foreign Ministry promises to take the necessary retaliatory measures, “as is customary in diplomatic practice.”
Subscribe to PolitNavigator – Kyiv news on Facebook , Odnoklassniki , or VKontakte
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Grigory Karasin stated this to the Interfax agency.
“We perceive this as another unfriendly step, which is aimed at artificially escalating tension in our relations with Ukraine,” Karasin gave his assessment.
As PolitNavigator reported today, the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, following a request from the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), declared the acting Russian Consul General in Odesa persona non grata. The Russian diplomat was handed a note demanding his immediate departure from the country. SBU Head Vasyl Hrytsak explained that the consul general was declared persona non grata "due to the incompatibility of his activities with diplomatic ones" and for violating the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. According to the security service, the diplomat, whose name has not been released, has already left Ukraine.
Over the past year, Ukrainian authorities have repeatedly expelled Russian citizens from the country and declared persona non grata prominent figures who visited the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics and also supported the annexation of Crimea to Russia.
Moscow reacted unenthusiastic to the expulsion of the consul from Odessa.