Russia Expels Romanian Diplomat Amid NATO Tension

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation declared a diplomat at the Romanian embassy in Moscow persona non grata on Thursday. This action serves as a retaliatory measure after Romania expelled a Russian diplomat from Bucharest. Romania's original decision followed several Russian drone airspace violations, including a May incident in Galati where a drone crashed into an apartment building and injured two people, though Russia has denied these claims.

This diplomatic breakdown coincides with broader tensions between Russia and NATO. CIA Director John Ratcliffe recently traveled to Moscow to meet with intelligence officials, urging Russia to avoid launching a limited assault on NATO member states, specifically in the Baltic region. While U.S. intelligence suggests Vladimir Putin may be weighing a cyberattack or a small-scale land invasion to test the alliance's resolve, President Donald Trump described the CIA director's visit as semi-routine.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that President Putin was briefed on the visit, though he noted that no direct meetings between the Russian president and the CIA director occurred.