Russia demanded Thursday August 4 the departure of a Norwegian diplomat, Elisabeth Ellingsen, accused of “
Russophobic statements
” after saying that she hated the Russians during a dispute at the reception of a hotel.
“
We emphasize that after what happened, the presence of Elisabeth Ellingsen on Russian territory is impossible
,” said in a press release the spokeswoman for Russian diplomacy, Maria Zakharova.
She said Norwegian Ambassador Rune Resaland was summoned to the Foreign Ministry in Moscow on Thursday.
He was "
served with a vigorous protest because of the unacceptable behavior of the consul Elisabeth Ellingsen in a hotel in Murmansk, on July 6, when she allowed herself Russophobic and abusive statements
", indicates the press release.
Norwegian diplomacy confirmed the summons of its ambassador to Moscow and added that Elisabeth Ellingsen's visa had been withdrawn.
Read alsoArctic: Moscow accuses Norway of blocking transit to Svalbard, threat of reprisals
"
During the meeting, the (Norwegian) ambassador reiterated
Oslo's apologies", emphasizing that "
the words used by the collaborator do not reflect Norwegian policy and Norwegian views towards Russia and of the Russians
,” said Norwegian Foreign Minister Guri Solberg.
Guri Solberg told AFP that the consul was not in Russia at the moment, without further details.
Last week, a scandal erupted after the broadcast on social networks of a surveillance video of the reception of a hotel in Murmansk, in the north-west of the country, where Elisabeth Ellingsen was consul.
She had said at the reception desk: “
I hate Russians.
Give me another room, I won't move from here.
(...) And how do you decide that a room is clean?
You know, I'm used to clean rooms, I'm from Scandinavia, not like a Russian woman who cleans as best she can.
The Norwegian consulate general in Murmansk has been temporarily closed since July 1 due to the "
difficult
" situation in bilateral relations, according to Oslo.
Russia and the West are going through a period of unprecedented tension due to the Russian offensive in Ukraine, which has prompted a salvo of European and American sanctions against Moscow.
