President of Moldova Igor Dodon named the expulsion of five Russian diplomats from the country a provocation, he wrote on his Facebook page, Lenta reports. 

“I would like to say that I am deeply outraged by such an unfriendly step from the side of the Moldovan diplomacy representatives and condemn it in the most categorical way,” Dodon said.

According to him, the expulsion of the diplomats is an outrageous gesture in regard to “our strategic partner Russian Federation.” “This was most likely done upon the order of the West, even maybe by those from the other side of the ocean, who are worried by the fact that constructive and effective dialogue was finally reached between the Presidency and Kremlin,” the Moldovan leader noted.