Bulgaria urges Russia to withdraw diplomatic ultimatum with embassy closure threat

Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov speaks during an interview with Reuters in Sofia, Bulgaria, March 7, 2022. REUTERS/Spasiyana Sergieva

SOFIA (Reuters) - Bulgaria's outgoing prime minister on Thursday called on Russia to withdraw a diplomatic ultimatum sent after Sofia expelled 70 Russian diplomatic staff which included a threat to close Russia's embassy in the Balkan nation.

Bulgaria, an EU and NATO member, said on Tuesday it was expelling 70 Russian diplomatic staff over espionage concerns and had set a cap on the size of Moscow's representation as tensions between the two once-close countries fractured over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.