Russia has reacted sharply to a diplomatic conflict with Bulgaria. The EU and NATO state, which is actually relatively close to Russia, recently expelled embassy staff. Moscow warns against diplomatic "retaliatory measures on our part" against other EU states.
After the escalation of the diplomatic conflict with Bulgaria, Russia has also threatened other EU countries with consequences. The EU must be aware that "ill-considered support of anti-Russian measures by individual member states transfers responsibility for their consequences to the entire EU, including with regard to retaliatory measures on our part," said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.
"Now, after this nonsense (...), the embassy is no longer able to work normally," Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said, according to the Interfax agency. Moscow threatened to shut down the Russian embassy in Bulgaria on Friday after Sofia refused to revoke the expulsion of 70 Russian diplomats. "Sofia's politicized decision to unfairly reduce our diplomatic staff in Bulgaria will certainly not go unanswered at the bilateral level," Zakharova said. The expulsion goes "far beyond diplomatic practice," she said, calling on Sofia and the EU to "reflect on the principle of reciprocity that underlies diplomatic relations."
Bulgaria is a member of the EU and NATO, but has also traditionally been close to Russia. The EU deplored Russia's "unjustified threat" to sever diplomatic relations with Bulgaria, calling the measure "disproportionate". Bulgaria, which openly condemns Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, said the majority of Russian embassy officials worked "directly for foreign services." It was the largest expulsion of diplomats from the EU and NATO states to date. The closure of an embassy would be unique within the European Union.
Many European countries have expelled Russian diplomats from the country since the start of the Russian offensive in Ukraine at the end of February. Russia, for its part, responded with expulsions. Bulgaria had already expelled ten Russian diplomats in March.
