Russian Ambassador Antonov: US distorts facts and de facto expels Russian diplomats 
Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov accused the US of deliberate facts regarding the requirement for Russian diplomats to leave the country. He said that Washington is actually expelling diplomats, RIA Novosti quoted him as saying.
The State Department is cunning once again. The American side is trying to mislead the local and world community by deliberately distorting the facts. We are credited with something that has nothing to do with reality. The situation is exactly the opposite
Anatoly Antonov, Russian Ambassador to the United States
The Russian Ambassador emphasized that in this way the United States is trying violate the sovereign right of the Russian Federation to carry out, at its own discretion, appointments to its diplomatic missions.
Expulsion of diplomats
On November 27, Anatoly Antonov announced that 27 Russian diplomats will leave the United States on 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 ambassador said that Washington is pursuing a family separation policy, despite its declared respect for family values. In addition, the Russian ambassador also said that the United States rejects all of Russia's proposals to restore inter-parliamentary ties, does not agree to requests for meetings in Congress and refuses to listen to Russian arguments.
US reaction
US State Department spokesman Jalina Porter said that the departure of 54 Russian diplomats, scheduled for 2022, cannot be viewed as their expulsion or punitive measure. She stated that the United States continues to discuss with Russia the issue of the rotation of diplomats.
What is happening is not expulsion. The Russian authorities, of course, informed, and they can replace those leaving by finding other members of the diplomatic corps for these places. These new procedures are not penalties
Jalina Porter Deputy Press Officer, US Department of State
According to Porter, the United States is allegedly making Russian diplomats the same demands that Russia made to State Department officials. She assured that such a decision by the American authorities would contribute to greater parity in relations between Russia and the United States.
However, the Russian ambassador rejected the arguments of a State Department spokesman that the departure of Russian diplomats should not be regarded as expulsion. According to the diplomat, they do not stand up to criticism. Antonov explained that if they refuse to comply with the demand, the Russians will be deprived of “immunity and other diplomatic privileges.”
It was clearly indicated to us that in case of refusal to comply with this requirement, the Russians would be deprived of immunity and other diplomatic privileges. Thus, we are talking about the actual expulsion
Anatoly Antonov Russian Ambassador to the USA Materials on the topic 12:42 – July 31, 2017 
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Antonov also recalled that it was the State Department in December 2020 that unilaterally set a three-year limit on long-term business trips for employees of the embassy in Washington and the general consulates of Russia in New York and Houston. The ambassador also pointed out that a five-year period of stay in the United States applies to diplomatic missions of other states.
Go to the world
Antonov said that Russia calls for zeroing on a reciprocal basis all visa restrictions with the United States in recent years. According to the diplomat, Russia stands for an honest and respectful dialogue on all visa “irritants”. He expressed confidence that if there is “goodwill” all problems can be resolved quickly enough.
He called on Washington to return to international obligations regarding diplomatic property and good practice in the functioning of diplomatic missions. “Our proposals remain on the negotiating table,” Antonov emphasized.