Estonia expels Russian diplomat over alleged ‘subversive activities’

ISTANBUL

Estonia on Wednesday expelled a Russian diplomat for what it claimed were activities aimed at undermining the country’s constitutional order, legal system, and social cohesion.

The Estonian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it summoned the charge d’affaires of the Russian Embassy in Tallinn to deliver a diplomatic note declaring the embassy’s first secretary persona non grata.

The diplomat has been ordered to leave Estonia, according to the Estonian public broadcaster ERR.

The ministry stressed that Estonia “will not tolerate Russia's activities against our constitutional order and internal stability” and deemed it necessary to convey this position “very clearly.”

Tallinn will also brief its partners and allies on the matter.

Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna alleged that the expelled diplomat “has been directly and actively involved in undermining the constitutional order and legal system of Estonia, as well as in dividing Estonian society.”

He accused him of contributing to crimes against the state, including offenses related to sanctions violations.

“At present, one citizen of the Republic of Estonia has been convicted for carrying out these crimes,” Tsahkna noted.

He added that “the Russian embassy's ongoing interference in the internal affairs of the Republic of Estonia must end, and by expelling the diplomat, we are demonstrating that Estonia will not allow any actions orchestrated and organized by a foreign state on its territory.”