Russia expels Canadian diplomat in return to Ottawa's 'courtesy'

First Secretary of the Embassy of Canada in Moscow must leave the country within 14 days. Margarita Atanasov is being expelled from Russia in response to the expulsion of a Russian diplomat from Ottawa. The incident with the Russian diplomat took place on April 8, when Yuri Bezler also given two weeks to leave Canada.

Officials with the Russian Foreign Ministry said that it was not the first such case. Moscow never acted first, but only responded to Ottawa's diplomatic "courtesy."

"It seems that this is about the destructive anti-Russian position of the Canadian authorities in connection with the events in Ukraine and the Crimea. Apparently, the Canadians do not think about the consequences, give vent to emotions and remain too much subjected to their own political conjuncture," an official with the Foreign Ministry of the Russian Federation said.

Despite all this, Moscow is ready to cooperate with Canada, including in the Arctic region.