Russia blames and threatens Baltics

MOSCOW (Reuters): Russia has accused the Baltic countries of conduct that according to Moscow has led to most ties with Russia having been cut and threatened Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania with asymmetric action.

“The openly hostile line of Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn has caused all mutual, administrative, regional and sectoral ties with Russia to be cut, Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ spokesperson Maria Zakharova told the RIA state news agency. She added that “unfriendly states are doing everything in their power to complicate relations.”

Zakharova added that Moscow will continue putting diplomatic pressure on the Baltics.

“We will also respond to the Baltic states’ hostile action with asymmetric measures, primarily in the field of economic affairs and transit,” she said.

The press representative claimed that Russian goods transit having been redirected to ports in northwestern Russia has had a very negative effect on the Baltic economies.

Asked about the possibility of a complete breakdown in ties, Zakharova told RIA Novosti that Moscow never seeks a complete discontinuance of diplomatic relations. “Russia will never completely sever ties with other countries in an attempt to maintain the possibility of dialogue,” she told the news agency.

She added that cutting diplomatic ties would be extremely unfortunate for Russian-speaking people living in the Baltic countries, including Russian citizens.

“Stopping the activities of diplomatic missions in such a situation would amount to leaving our citizens and hundreds of thousands of compatriots at the mercy of arbitrary action by the police,” Zakharova noted.

Earlier in the week, Estonia accused Russia of violating air traffic rules when GPS interference caused flights between Helsinki and Tartu to be suspended. The Baltics were also among countries that recently expressed concerns over what they called Russian espionage, NATO said last week.

Estonian foreign minister: It is Russia that soured relations by invading Ukraine

Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200) said in a comment that Estonia has minimized its communication with Russia as a result of the latter’s attack on Ukraine.

“We have reduced mutual relations to the bare minimum level as Russia sullied its relationship with the West by launching a war of aggression against Ukraine, in violation of international law and the sovereignty of states,” Tsahkna said in a written remark.

“Estonia will continue to make diplomatic efforts to see the war ended and for Ukraine to have the opportunities and means it needs to kick out the aggressor,” the foreign minister added.