Russia expels 2 Latvian diplomats in retaliation

The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that it will expel two diplomatic employees from the Latvian diplomatic mission in Moscow as a retaliatory move, reported Xinhua.

The ministry on Thursday summoned Latvian Charge d'Affaires Dace Rutka and expressed strong protest over announcing two Russian diplomats in the Latvian capital Riga as "persona non grata without any grounds," it said in a statement.

The ministry said it has informed the Latvian side that if Riga continues hostile actions against Russian diplomats, Moscow will "inevitably take other steps that will be painful for Riga."