Moldova expels Russian diplomat over polling stations in breakaway region

Moldova on Tuesday expelled a Russian diplomat over the opening of polling stations for Russia's presidential election in the breakaway region of Transdniestria after summoning the Russian ambassador. Moldova's Foreign Ministry has twice called in Moscow's envoy, Oleg Vasnetsov, to protest the opening of the polling stations in Transdniestria, an unrecognised pro-Russian enclave, despite Moldova's opposition.

The country's pro-European government doubled down on punitive action against Moscow, saying it would bar a Russian delegation from a United Nations meeting taking place in Chisinau in May. Pro-European President Maia Sandu said the Russian move indicated a lack of respect for Moldova's sovereignty and promised a government response at a press conference on Monday.

The envoy, Vasnetsov, said Moscow would draw up a response to what he described as an unfriendly act by Moldova, Russia's TASS news agency reported. In a statement, the Moldovan Foreign Ministry said it was barring a Russian delegation from a regional meeting of the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organisation.

It said the decision "took account of Russia's continuing aggressive war against Ukraine which blatantly violates the U.N. Charter and provoked many crises in the international arena". Russian participation in the meeting, it said, would be confined to embassy staff or online.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova decried both measures as "the latest part of an anti-Russian campaign conducted by Moldova's leaders". She said it was also Moldova's way of "settling scores" for Russia providing the means for Transdniestria residents to vote in the Russian presidential poll.

Moldova's relations with Russia have become strained since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which Moldova's government has strongly condemned. Moldova told Russia to drastically reduce the size of its embassy staff to 25 from 80 last year to establish parity with Moldova's representation in Moscow.

"We don't want a relationship with a regime that kills innocent people every day," Sandu said of Russia on Monday. Sandu's government expelled the unidentified Russian diplomat in protest against the opening of six polling stations in Transdniestria instead of one polling station in Moldova's capital Chisinau as previously agreed.

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