Iran Press/ Europe: The ongoing diplomatic war between the West and Moscow has escalated dramatically following Russia's military operation in Ukraine, prompting a number of European countries to expel Russian envoys.
Russian Foreign Ministry's spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova added: "Moscow will make a reciprocal decision on any specific issue, but at the moment the closure of any embassy from a European country is not on the agenda."
She added that Russia views diplomacy as an immutable instrument of international communication, whose importance is only growing in the current circumstances.
During a briefing on Wednesday, commenting on the expulsions of Russian diplomats, the Russian Foreign Ministry's spokeswoman said that Russia will respond every time; the principle of reciprocity in international relations has not changed. We will decide on specific decisions, we are already deciding on them, based on our own interests, with consideration of actual circumstances and the ‘contribution’ of certain states in fanning the anti-Russian hysteria.
Meanwhile, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Groshko stressed that the campaign of European countries for the expulsion of Russian diplomats is a pre-planned plot, and this will lead to long-term deterioration of diplomatic relations.
Germany and France decided to expel Russian diplomats in a similar move on Monday. The Baltic states also expelled Russian diplomats a few weeks ago.
In recent years, European countries have repeatedly expelled Russian diplomats under various pretexts, following the United States. 219
