Russia Promises to Limit Response to Expulsion of 5 Moldovan Diplomats - Dodon

Russia promises to limit itself to the expulsion of five Moldovan diplomats from the country and not to take additional punitive actions in response to an "unfriendly" move by the Moldovan government, Moldovan President Igor Dodon said Friday.

ST. PETERSBURG (Sputnik) — The Russian Embassy in Moldova on Monday received a note stating that five Russian diplomats were declared persona non grata in the country. Moscow responded with a "mirror" move by announcing on Wednesday it will expel five Moldovan diplomats from Russia.

"I want to thank our Russian partners for showing understanding regarding this situation, and that Vladimir Vladimirovich (Putin) realized that this is not the position of the majority of citizens, but the position of those who are in the government and parliament [of Moldova], Dodon said in an interview with Rossiya 24 television on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

"The majority of (Moldova) citizens want to be friends with Russia, and today the Russian president assured me that there will be no other steps from Russia for now," he added.

SPIEF kicked off in St. Petersburg on Thursday and will continue through Saturday. The Sputnik news agency is an official media partner of SPIEF.