Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabkov: the expulsion of the US Embassy staff is a compulsory measure in relation to Russian diplomats. This is how the expulsion of American diplomats was explained by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, RIA Novosti reports.
Ryabkov added that Russia urges the United States to abandon such measures. He also noted that the American side still has time to stop the expulsion of Russian diplomats before Moscow retaliates.
Earlier on December 1, the Russian Foreign Ministry ordered the US Embassy staff to leave Moscow. As stated by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova, by January 31, 2022, employees of the US Embassy who have been in Moscow for more than three years must leave Russia.
Russian Ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov said that 27 Russian diplomats will leave the United States January 30, and the same number will leave on June 30, 2022, that is, only 54 people. He stressed that the spouses of the diplomatic corps employees are deprived of their accreditation, children are not issued visas. The diplomat also said that the United States rejects all proposals of Russia to restore inter-parliamentary ties, rejects requests for meetings in Congress and refuses to listen to Russian argumentation.
At the same time, the deputy head of the press service of the US State Department Jalina Porter said that the departure of Russian diplomats scheduled for 2022 should not be viewed as their expulsion or punitive measure.