Russia's announcement on Wednesday that it would expel 24 Italian officials was "expected" and will not weaken diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine, according to foreign minister Luigi Di Maio.
"It was a reaction that was expected from the Russian side," Di Maio told reporters in New York, where he was attending a United Nations meeting on global food security.
The expulsions - retaliation for Italy's expulsion of 30 Russian in April on national security grounds - doesn't mean that diplomatic channels will be weakened, Di Maio said.
""I am sure that our embassy in Moscow will remain fully operational and will be increasingly important in keeping channels open with Russian institutions and will continue working for a de-escalation (of the conflict) and for peace," Di Maio said.
