Kremlin hopes US can solve diplomatic row

Moscow, July 17: The Kremlin on Monday said Washington must unconditionally restore its access to diplomatic compounds in the United States ahead of high-level talks on the issue.

Russia is angry that Washington is still barring its diplomats from using two compounds in the states of New York and Maryland after then President Barack Obama in December ordered the ban on access in response to suspected Russian meddling in the US election.

“We consider it absolutely unacceptable to place conditions on the return of diplomatic property, we consider that it must be returned without any conditions and talking,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. He spoke as Thomas Shannon, the US state department’s thirdin-command, was set to host Russia’s deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov in Washington later on Monday.

Diplomats quoted by Russian news agencies said the issue of the residential complexes would be on their agenda.

The talks between Shannon and Ryabkov were earlier scheduled for June but Russia cancelled them, citing new US sanctions linked to the conflict in Ukraine.

When President Vladimir Putin and US counterpart Donald Trump met for the first time at the G-20 summit this month, the Kremlin We consider it unacceptable to place conditions on return of diplomatic property, we consider that it must be returned without any conditions, talking Dmitry Peskov, strongman raised the question “quite unambiguously,” Mr Peskov said. He added that “we still hope our American colleagues will show political wisdom and political will.”

Mr Obama announced the US was shutting down residential complexes in December when he expelled 35 Russian diplomats for spying.

He said the measures were in response to US intelligence reports of Russian hacking and an alleged influence campaign to sway the US presidential election in Mr Trump’s favour, describing the compounds as used by Moscow for “intelligence-related purposes.” At the time Mr Putin held off from retaliating.