Continued: the US will cut 750 staff of the diplomatic mission in Russia due to sanctions
USA Russia expressed a protest in connection with Moscow’s decision to impose sanctions against American diplomats. It is reported by The Washington Post, citing state Department spokesman Heather Nauert.
“We expressed our strong disappointment and protest”, she said, explaining that the official position of Washington to Moscow told the Secretary of state Rex Tillerson during a telephone conversation with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov and Ambassador John Tefft during the meeting with Deputy foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov.
July 28, the Russian foreign Ministry has announced that from 1 August the staff of the American Embassy in Moscow will not be able to use the dacha in Serebryany Bor, as well as warehouses on Road street in the capital. In addition, the Russian side has proposed September 1, to reduce to 455 people total number of staff employed in diplomatic missions of the United States in Russia.
Adopted by the Moscow measures were a response to the bill to toughen anti-Russian sanctions, which is approved by the U.S. Congress but not yet signed by President Donald trump. The document provides few restrictions regarding the possibility of funding for banks and oil and gas companies that are under sanctions.
At the end of December last year, the outgoing administration of US President Barack Obama declared persona non grata 35 Russian diplomats. In addition, the Russian depravation closed access to two residential complexes, the so — called suburban dachas of Russia’s permanent mission in new York and the Russian Embassy in Washington.