Russia’s consulate in the Lithuanian port city of Klaipėda has ceased operations as of April 19.
In early April, in response to the massacre in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha, Lithuania downgraded diplomatic ties between Vilnius and Moscow to the level of charges d’affaires and ordered the Russian ambassador to leave the country in the wake of Russia’s ongoing aggression in Ukraine.
On April 4, the Russian embassy was notified by the Lithuanian ministry about the decision to revoke the authorization of Russia’s Consulate General in Klaipėda. Its staff was then given 15 days to leave Lithuania. An announcement in the Russian language that the consulate was no longer providing services appeared on its website on April 19.
On April 8, the Russian embassy in Vilnius also sent a note to the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry notifying that Russian Ambassador Alexey Isakov would leave the country by April 11. Following Lithuania’s decision to downgrade its diplomatic ties with Russia, relations will be maintained at the level of lower-level diplomats.
In turn, Russia closed Lithuania’s Consulate General in St. Petersburg, reported the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry on April 21. The Russian foreign ministry has summoned Virginija Umbrasienė, the interim head of the Lithuanian Embassy in Moscow, to inform her about the decision to close the consulate in St Petersburg. All of the consulate’s employees and their families were given 15 days to leave Russia.
The Lithuanian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on April 21 that it regards Moscow’s move to be “unjustified and indicative of Russia’s continued political and diplomatic self-isolation”. LRT.lt
