Russian ambassador has to leave Vilnius, as Lithuanian ambassador is recalled from Moscow

The Russian ambassador in Vilnius will have to leave Lithuania as Lithuania is recalling its ambassador from Moscow, the Baltic country’s Foreign Minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis, told reporters on Monday.

“The Lithuanian government, in response to the ongoing aggressive actions of Russia in Ukraine, has decided to downgrade the status of the diplomatic mission,” he said. “The Russian ambassador will have to leave Lithuania.”

The Lithuanian ambassador in Moscow “is returning to Lithuania in the near future,” the minister said.

The government has also decided to shut down the Russian consulate general in Klaipeda.

The minister said Vilnius informed its partners in the European Union and NATO about its decision. “We have invited partners to follow our lead,” he said.

Under another decision by the government, the Lithuanian ambassador that had left the Ukrainian capital earlier due to the security situation is returning to Kiev. “It will happen in the near future,” Landsbergis said.