Russia plans to expel 10 US diplomats
MOSCOW – Russia on Friday responded to a barrage of new U.S. sanctions by saying it will expel 10 U.S. diplomats and take other retaliatory moves in a tense showdown with Washington.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also said Moscow will add eight U.S. officials to its sanctions list and move to shut down those U.S. nongovernmental organizations that remain in Russia to end what he described as their meddling in Russia’s politics.
The top Russian diplomat said the Kremlin suggested that U.S. Ambassador John Sullivan follow the example of his Russian counterpart and head home for consultations. Russia will also move to deny the U.S. Embassy the possibility of hiring personnel from Russia and third countries as support staff, limit visits by U.S. diplomats serving shortterm stints at the embassy, and tighten requirements for U.S. diplomats’ travel in the country.
On Thursday, the Biden administration announced sanctions on Russia for interfering in the 2020 U.S. presidential election and involvement in the SolarWind hack of federal agencies – activities Moscow has denied. The U.S. ordered 10 Russian diplomats expelled, targeted dozens of companies and people, and imposed new curbs on Russia’s ability to borrow money.
While the U.S. wields the power to cripple the Russian economy, Moscow lacks levers to respond in kind, although it potentially could hurt American interests in many other ways around the globe.
Lavrov noted that while Russia could take “painful measures” against American business interests in Russia, it wouldn’t immediately move to do that and “save them for future use.”
He warned that if Washington moves to further crank up the pressure, Russia might ask the U.S. to reduce the number of its embassy and consular staff from about 450 to 300.
Russia’s economic potential and its global reach are limited compared with the Soviet Union that competed with the U.S for international influence during the Cold War.
Still, Russia’s nuclear arsenal and its leverage in many parts of the world make it a power that Washington must reckon with.
Aware of that, President Joe Biden called for deescalating tensions and held the door open for cooperation with Russia in certain areas. Biden said he told Putin in a call Tuesday that he chose not to impose tougher sanctions for now and proposed to meet in a third country in the summer.
Lavrov said Russia had a “positive attitude” toward the summit offer and was analyzing it, but a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry shortly after noted that it “was being studied in the context of the evolving situation.”
Ramping up sanctions could eventually drive Russia into a corner and provoke even more reckless Kremlin action, such as a potential escalation in Ukraine, which has recently faced a surge in clashes with Russia-backed separatists in the east and a massive Russian troops buildup across the border.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was in Paris on Friday to discuss the tensions with French President Emmanuel Macron.