The Kremlin has ordered Estonia’s ambassador to leave Russia while accusing its neighbour of “malicious Russophobia” as tensions in the region escalate.

Estonia’s ambassador is the first from a European country to be expelled from Russia since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Estonia responded in a tit-for-tat move by ordering the Russian ambassador to leave by the same date of February 7.

Neighbouring Latvia stood in solidarity with Estonia by also telling Russia’s ambassador to leave.

The dispute comes after Estonia hosted a meeting of NATO countries last week to discuss more support packages for Ukraine.

Estonia, Latvia and their Baltic neighbour Lithuania have been arguing strongly for Germany to provide its Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine.

Estonia’s Ambassador Margus Laidre leaving the Russian Foreign Ministry’s building in Moscow. Photo: AAP (Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service)

A Russian press release accused Estonia of “Russophobia” and the “cultivation of hostility towards our country”.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry told the Tass news agency that Estonia “got what it wanted”.

“Estonia, together with other Baltic states, has taken its malicious Russophobia to the level of state policy and made it almost a national idea,” said Leonid Slutsky, chairman of the State Duma’s international affairs committee.

“We will not put up with unjustified unfriendly steps by adjusting our reciprocal steps every time (we face such steps).”

Poland to send tanks

Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki says his government will send Leopard tanks to Ukraine — whether or not Germany agrees.

Poland is intending to seek permission from Berlin so it can supply the German-made tanks.

“Even if we did not get this approval … we would still transfer our tanks together with others to Ukraine,” Mr Morawiecki told reporters.

“The condition for us at the moment is to build at least a small coalition of countries.”

In an apparent shift in Germany’s position, foreign minister Annalena Baerbock said on Sunday (local time) her government would not block Poland if it tried to send its Leopards.

The issue of supplying the German-made Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine has dominated recent discussions among Western allies about how much and what sort of material aid they should give Ukraine as the first anniversary of the Russian invasion nears.

Ukrainian officials have been pleading with Western allies to supply them with Leopard tanks for months but Germany has held back from sending them or allowing other NATO countries to re-export them.

Leopards, held by an array of NATO countries, are seen by defence experts as the most suitable for Ukraine.

Mr Morawiecki said Warsaw would ask Germany for permission to re-export tanks to Ukraine “but this is an issue of secondary importance”.

Western allies pledged billions of dollars in weapons for Ukraine last week but failed to persuade Germany to lift its veto on providing the tanks.

Ukraine says the heavily armoured battle tanks would give its ground troops more mobility and protection ahead of a new Russian offensive.