You’re to blame, Russia tells America as it expels hundreds of diplomats
US compound and warehouse seized by Moscow in retaliation for sanctions agreed by Senate
RUSSIA has ordered the expulsion of hundreds of US diplomats and the seizure of an embassy compound and warehouse in retaliation for new sanctions approved by the Senate earlier this week.
Diplomatic corps in Moscow, St Petersburg, Yekaterinburg and Vladivostok must downsize to 455 staff members – the same number at the Russian embassy in the US – by Sept 1, the Russian foreign ministry said.
It was not immediately clear how many staff members would have to leave.
According to a Reuters report citing an unnamed embassy official, there are currently 1,100 Americans and Russians on staff at the US embassy, while RIA Novosti, a Russian state-run news agency, suggests there are 600-700 staff members.
Neither the US embassy nor the Russian foreign ministry responded to requests for clarification.
“We have received the Russian government notification. Ambassador [John] Tefft expressed his strong disappointment and protest. We have passed the notification back to Washington for review,” Maria Olson, a US embassy spokesman, told The Daily Telegraph. In an elaborate statement posted on her Facebook page, Maria Zakharova, Russia’s foreign ministry spokesman, called the US media “zombified” for not knowing how many people worked in the US embassy in Russia.
She added that the ministry was waiting for a response on how many diplomatic staff are based in Russia.
Russia also said it would seize a Moscow-based “dacha” compound and US diplomatic warehouse facilities from Aug 1 in the pre-emptive measures against the sanctions, which still have to be approved by Donald Trump.
“Despite constant attacks from Washington, we have behaved responsibly and reservedly, having ignored obvious provocations thus far. But recent events mean that certain circles in
‘Recent events mean that certain circles in the US opted for Russophobia and open confrontation’
the United States opted for Russophobia and open confrontation with our country,” a statement from the foreign ministry read.
Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesman, confirmed to the press yesterday that the move was authorised by Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, who said on Thursday that it was “impossible to tolerate constant boorishness” from the US in regards to the sanctions.
Russian media outlets compared the move to the Obama administration’s expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats in December 2016 and the seizure of two Russian diplomatic compounds in New York and Maryland in response to suspected Russian meddling in the US election.
Sergei Lavrov, the foreign minister, proposed at the time to expel 35 US diplomats from Russia and seize some of the US embassy property in retaliation, but was overruled by Mr Putin who said he was unwilling to resort to “irresponsible diplomacy” and would wait to see what measures were taken by the new Trump administration.
Reducing personnel of the US diplomatic corps in Russia will, without a doubt, complicate the relationship between the two countries, said Adam Smith, former director for multilateral affairs on the national security council and former senior adviser to the director of the US treasury department’s office of foreign assets control.
“There are other economic tools,” Mr Smith, who is now a partner at Gibson Dunn, a law firm, told The Daily Telegraph.
“There are companies that depend on Russian goods, and Russia is still a major energy producer. But in using economic tools, Russia risks potentially being collateral damage.”
The announced measures are “the least painful” for both sides, added Vladimir Frolov, a Russian international affairs analyst.
“Expelling diplomats does not scar relations too deep and don’t interfere with major interests. It is easy to back down on such measures,” he told The Daily Telegraph in written comments.