The Latvian ambassador to Russia, Maris Riekstins, should leave Russia within two weeks, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Friday.

Latvian Charge d'Affaires Dace Rutka was summoned to the ministry in protest over Latvia's decision to lower the level of Russian-Latvian diplomatic relations, the ministry said in a statement.

Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics said on Monday his country recalled its ambassador from Russia and downgraded diplomatic relations with Russia to the level of charge d'affaires as of February 24. Rinkevics said the decision was made in a show of solidarity with its neighbor Estonia.

Russia lowered its diplomatic representation in Estonia to charge d'affaires days ago, and had asked the Estonian ambassador to leave Russia after Estonia pledged to send all its 155-mm howitzers to Ukraine. 

The Russian Foreign Ministry called Latvia's justification of its decision completely unacceptable. It said that the only way the Baltic states had shown solidarity was through their "total Russophobia" and their efforts to promote hostility against Russia.

Since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in February last year, the two countries diplomatic relations have deteriorated. 

The Latvian parliament authorized willing citizens to fight for Ukraine immediately after the Russia-Ukraine conflict erupted, and it then declared Russia a "state sponsor of terrorism," and called on EU countries to "immediately suspend the issuance of tourist and entry visas to Russian and Belarusian citizens," which angered Moscow who declared that it would take retaliatory economic measures over the Latvian parliament's decision.

(With input from Xinhua)