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The Ministry of foreign Affairs of Russia expressed a protest in connection with a “hostile U.S. actions” and “infringement of diplomatic immunity.” This was reported on the website of the Department.
“The Russian side reiterated the protest in connection with the hostile actions of the United States, assault on diplomatic immunity. Provided that the conditions of stay of American diplomats in Russia will be brought into compliance with the limits for our representatives,” — said the Agency.
On 11 September, Deputy foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov held talks with US Deputy Secretary of state Thomas Shannon. The meeting was held in Helsinki. The representative of the Ministry called searches, arranged on 2 September by US law enforcement in the diplomatic missions of Russia in San Francisco and Washington, “a flagrant violation of the Vienna conventions on diplomatic and consular relations”.
31 August, the us government demanded Russia to September 2, to close the Consulate General in San Francisco and one diplomatic facility in new York and Washington. In response, Moscow plans to reduce the number of employees of the us diplomatic mission in Russia. The Chairman of the Duma Committee on international Affairs Leonid Slutsky said that the US joined with Russia in a “hot phase of the diplomatic war.”
July 28, Moscow has reduced the number of employees of the us diplomatic mission in Russia up to 455 people. Just to 1 September 2017 the number of staff of the US diplomatic mission has been slashed by 755 people. In addition, from 1 August, the us diplomats denied access to the Embassy dacha in Serebryany Bor, and storage areas on a Traffic street in Moscow. In response, the US 23 August imposed restrictions on the issuance of nonimmigrant visas throughout Russia. The procedure was resumed from September 1 in Moscow.