"This is a misinterpretation of [European Parliament President Martin] Schulz’s phrase. He didn’t limit free access for the ambassador or another diplomat."
"Free access remains for me and one other diplomat, but the remaining personnel doesn’t have access," Chizhov explained.
Russian Foreign Ministry's head of the Press and Information Department Maria Zakharova said that the European Parliament used "NATO's scheme" by banning all Russian diplomatic mission's staff from entering the building.
"What does it really mean? [The European Parliament created] maximimally difficult working conditions for our staff related to the European Parliament."
"This is the sole decision made by President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz, which he announced immediately after our telephone conversation with him. In fact, it is clearly politicized, groundless and unjustified decision," Chizhov emphasized.
The parliament also suspended its engagement with the EU-Russia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee and said it would consider requests for access by Russian lawmakers to European Parliament facilities on a case-by-case basis.
On Saturday, a Russian Foreign Ministry source confirmed that EU member states' diplomatic missions had received a list of 89 politicians, diplomats and military experts barred from entering Russia.
