"The Ambassador of Ireland to the Russian Federation was summoned to the Foreign Ministry in Moscow this afternoon and informed that 2 diplomats from our Embassy in Moscow have been asked to leave.

"There is no justification for the taking of this measure. The staff at the Embassy of Ireland in Moscow do not have, nor are engaged in, any duties or functions which are incompatible with their diplomatic status.

"This decision to reduce the size of our relatively small Embassy in Moscow will significantly reduce our ability to provide services to our citizens in Russia and to maintain diplomatic channels of communication with the Russian Federation."