In the last hour, the Russian Foreign Ministry has confirmed one of its diplomats in Romania had been expelled and that it had recalled its ambassador to Armenia for consultations. While these events are not connected, today is shaping up to be a busy one for the Russian Foreign Ministry.
The Romanian Foreign Ministry claimed that one of Russia’s diplomats had taken pictures of unnamed embassies and NATO military convoys moving towards Ukraine in Tulcea since at least 2022. The Romanian government has declared this person persona non-grata that must leave in 48 hours. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zakharova responded: “Russia will give an appropriate response”, probably inferring the expulsion of a Romanian diplomat in the coming days.
As for Armenia, Moscow announced that Ambassador Kopyrkin was being recalled for consultation but did not name specifics. However, bi-lateral relations between Armenia and Russia have collapsed this year as Russian peacekeepers were asked to leave several locations after Azerbaijan retook Nagorno-Karabakh in the face of a failed Russian peacekeeping mission.
Kopyrkin has served in that post since 2018.
