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Iceland's Embassy will suspend operations in Russia on Aug. 1 and requested Russia to limit its diplomatic operation in Reykjavik, Foreign Affair Ministry announced on June 9.
The Russian Ambassador was summoned to the ministry to be informed of Iceland's decision.
"This is not an easy decision as Iceland has enjoyed rich relations with the people of Russia since our independence in 1944. However, the current situation simply does not make it viable for the small foreign service of Iceland to operate an embassy in Russia. I hope that conditions will someday allow for us to have normal and fruitful relations with Russia, but that depends on decisions taken by the Kremlin," Gylfadóttir said.
Commercial, cultural, and political ties with Russia are at a historically low level, so there is no point in maintaining diplomatic ties as well, the message reads.
Ukraine's FA Minister Dmytro Kuleba praised the decision in a Twitter post.
"I thank (Foreign Affair Minister) Thordis Kolbrun for Iceland’s decision to suspend operations of its embassy in Moscow and request Russia to limit the operations of its embassy in Reykjavík. Russia must see that barbarism leads to complete isolation. I encourage other states to follow Iceland’s example," he wrote.
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