Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova (TASS)

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that there are just two Russian ambassadors left in countries considered unfriendly to Russia..

"In these countries, we are mainly talking about the countries of the European Union and those countries that we have declared unfriendly, so they have practically minimized our diplomatic presence. We have countries where there are only one or two [Russian] diplomats," Zakharova said as quoted by Russian TVC TV channel on Saturday.

She stressed the importance of Russian ambassadors' activities overseas in assisting Russian citizens and organizations, as well as maintaining economic relations.

In October, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Yevgeny Ivanov stated that Russian diplomats were refocusing their efforts on regions of priority for Russian foreign policy and that Russia planned to open new general consulates in Asia, Africa, and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

Also last month, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that Russia sees no reason to continue its current diplomatic presence in Western countries and that more emphasis should be placed on Asia, Latin America, and Africa. According to the minister, Moscow is moving its geographic focus away from the West and toward countries that are "ready to collaborate with Russia on mutually advantageous and equal terms."

Throughout history, the Russian diplomatic corps has produced some of Europe's toughest and most effective diplomats. Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the US and the EU have multiplied punitive measures to isolate Russia by targeting its officials and freezing the assets of its leaders and its industries.