The Russian foreign Ministry called on us authorities “to change their mind and immediately return to the Russian diplomatic facilities.” This is stated in the statement on the Agency’s website, published on Sunday, September 3.
“Otherwise the US will fall the blame for the continued degradation of relations between our countries”, — noted in the text.
The US actions in buildings of the Consulate General in San Francisco and torgpredstavitelstvo in Washington, Moscow believes openly hostile act. “In the occupied buildings now host the US intelligence services with the support of the armed police,” — said the foreign Ministry.
September 2, Russian diplomats have also lost access to the leased premises torgpredstavitelstvo in new York.
Moscow believes that the move is “in line with the actual expropriation” of residential complexes in the suburbs of Washington and new York in December 2016.
Previously the foreign Ministry have posted on social networks a video inspection by the FBI of a building of Consulate General of Russia in San Francisco. Searches there and in the trade mission started in Washington on the evening of 2 September.
August 31, the US authorities have demanded from Russia to close these diplomatic facilities in the period until 2 September. The decision of the White house was, as they explained, second step in the reduction of the U.S. diplomatic corps in Russia.
Later, it was reported that several Russian diplomats asked for political asylum in the United States. This was announced by foreign Ministry spokesman, Maria Zakharova, who called the news lies and “classic information warfare”.