Lithuania was the first in the EU to completely abandon Russian gas and recalled its ambassador from Moscow

Lithuania and Latvia lower the level of diplomatic relations. Vilnius recalls its ambassador from Moscow and closes the Russian consulate in Klaipeda, reports with the BBC.

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Prior to this, Lithuania became the first country to refuse Russian gas. Then gas from Russia stopped flowing to Latvia and Estonia.

Lithuania has lowered the level of diplomatic relations with Russia - the government decided to recall the ambassador from Moscow, and also ordered the Russian ambassador to leave the country. In addition, the Lithuanian authorities ordered the closure of the Russian consulate in Klaipeda. This was announced by Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis. According to him, the Lithuanian ambassador will return from Moscow in the near future.

Following Lithuania, Latvia announced a similar decision. Riga lowers the level of diplomatic relations with Moscow, Foreign Minister Edgar Rinkevich said. Whether this means the recall of the ambassador is not yet clear.

“Given the crimes committed by Russian armed forces in Ukraine, Latvia is downgrading diplomatic relations with the Russian Federation. Specific decisions will be announced after completion of internal procedures,” he wrote on Twitter.

Ņemot vērā Krievijas bruņoto spēku pastrādātos noziegumus Ukrainā, Latvija sašaurinās diplomātiskās attiecības ar Krievijas Federāciju. Par konkrētiem lēmumiem tiks paziņots pēc iekšēju procedūru pabeigšanas

— Edgars Rinkevics (@edgarsrinkevics) April 4, 2022

“Retaliatory measures will not be long in coming,” commented Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on the decision of Lithuania and Latvia.

On the subject: Russia to resume international flights to 52 'friendly' countries

Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, European countries imposed sanctions against Russia. This was followed by a series of expulsions of Russian diplomatic workers from several countries. Lithuania was among them - on March 18, the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry declared four employees of the Russian embassy persona non grata. Latvia, as well as Estonia and Bulgaria, made similar decisions that day.

Lithuania became the first country that went to recall the ambassador from Moscow and demanded that the Russian ambassador leave Vilnius.

On February 24, when the war in Ukraine began, Lithuania announced that it would stop issuing visas to Russian citizens. On the same day, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda declared a state of emergency in the country and ordered the army to be deployed along the border.

In April, Lithuania was the first to completely refuse Russian gas supplies. The country's Ministry of Energy announced this two days ago. “We are the first EU country among Gazprom supply countries to achieve independence from Russian gas supplies,” Energy Minister Dainius Kreivis said at the time. Lithuania now supplies itself with natural gas by sea through the LNG terminal in the port of Klaipeda.

Since the beginning of April, Russian gas has stopped flowing to Latvia and Estonia, as reported by Uldis Bariss, Chairman of the Board of the natural gas system operator JSC Conexus Baltic Grid (Conexus). “Buying oil and gas from Russia means financing war crimes,” Landsbergis said.

Reports of a diplomatic demarche came amid the publication of tragic footage from Bucha near Kiev, where, after the retreat of Russian troops, the bodies of dozens of dead civilians were found.

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The Russian Ministry of Defense, a Kremlin spokesman and the Foreign Minister deny the involvement of the Russian military in the massacres and call reports of this a “staged” and “provocation.” Journalists, including the BBC, saw with their own eyes those killed on the streets of Bucha. Some bodies have their hands tied behind their backs.

“The Lithuanian government, in response to Russian military aggression against sovereign Ukraine and the atrocities committed by Russian armed forces in various occupied cities of Ukraine, including the horrific murders in Bucha, has decided to downgrade the level of diplomatic representation and the ambassador of the Russian Federation will have to leave Lithuania,” Landsbergis said April, 4.

He also said that the Lithuanian ambassador to Ukraine is returning to work in Kyiv.

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