Russia expels 2 Romanian diplomats in response to removal of Russian diplomats

Two Romanian diplomats were expelled from Russia in response to Bucharest’s expulsion of two Russian diplomats in March, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said on April 9.

On March 5, Romania expelled Russian military attache Victor Makovskiy and his deputy, Evgeny Ignatiev, for breaching diplomatic rules of conduct. The move was reportedly in response to Russian interference in Romania’s presidential election.

The two Romanian diplomats were declared “persona non gratae” and were ordered to leave Russia on April 9.

Romania’s defense attache and his deputy were expelled, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said.

Russia previously promised to respond to Romania’s decision to expel Makovskiy and Ignatiev in March.

On March 5, Romanian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Andrei Tarnea said the expelled Russian diplomats breached the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

“It is an exceptional measure… It is not a measure taken easily, and it is taken when the breaches are grave,” Tarnea said.

The move was reportedly connected to the campaign of Romania’s pro-Russian presidential candidate, Calin Georgescu.

Georgescu, a former candidate in Romania’s presidential elections, was barred from running amid accusations of Russian cyberattacks and a bias in favor of Georgescu on TikTok.

Diplomatic expulsions between Russia and Western nations have become a common occurrence since the onset of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine in February 2022.

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The Kyiv IndependentDominic Culverwell