Washington as one of the options of response to Moscow’s decision to send a number of American diplomats was considering closing one of the four Russian consulates in the United States to bring the number to parity. On Friday, August 11, the newspaper “Kommersant” with reference to diplomatic sources.
It is reported that this issue was discussed at the meeting of Minister of foreign Affairs of Russia Sergey Lavrov with his us counterpart Rex Tillerson at a meeting in Manila. Then the Secretary of state said that he would provide the answer to 1 September.
Close to the American foreign Ministry sources explained that from the point of view of Washington’s actions do not qualify as mirrored steps, and as unfounded escalation of the conflict.
The United States on the territory of Russia, three of the Consulate General in St.-Petersburg, Yekaterinburg and Vladivostok. From Russia to the United States four of the Consulate General in new York, San Francisco, Seattle and Houston.
Earlier, on 11 August, the President of the United States Donald trump thanked Vladimir Putin for the decision to reduce staff of the us diplomatic mission to 755. He said that this will help “reduce wage costs”.
Earlier the Russian foreign Ministry has offered up to 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. “In the case of a new unilateral actions of the us authorities to reduce the number of our diplomats in the U.S. this will be followed by a mirror response,” — said in a statement the Russian foreign Ministry.