Translated material
Cut the states
Moscow can additionally reduce the staff of the American diplomatic mission by another 155 people. This was stated by Russian President Vladimir Putin at a press conference at the BRICS summit, the Kremlin press service reports .
Of the 455 Russian diplomats in the United States, 155 people work at the UN, Putin noted. “Strictly speaking, they are not diplomats accredited by the State Department,” the president said. “If we talk about complete parity, then this is not 455 US diplomats in Moscow, but minus 155. So we reserve the right to make a decision on this number of American diplomats in Moscow. But we will not do this yet.” In Moscow, they will see, "how the situation will develop further."
According to Putin, he also intends to entrust the Ministry of Defense through the court to challenge Washington’s decision on the ban on Russian diplomats to use three buildings in San Francisco, Washington and New York. The President called the US actions unprecedented and stated that the Americans are behaving in a prison, demonstrating the "low level of political culture"
“This is a clear violation of the property rights of the Russian side,” said Putin. “Therefore, for starters, I will give an order to go to court. Let's see how the vaunted American judicial system works effectively.”
On July 28, Russia, in response to the law on the new US sanctions, suspended the use by the American Embassy of the cottage in the village of Serebryany Bor in the west of Moscow and warehouses on the road street. In addition, Moscow demanded that Washington reduce the number of diplomats and technical employees at the embassy, as well as the Consulate General of up to 455 people - this is how many employees are now working in Russian diplomatic mission in the United States. 755 employees of American representative offices fell under the reduction.
On August 31, the American authorities demanded from Russia until September 2 to close the Consulate General in San Francisco , as well as a trade mission in Washington and its branch in New York. It was noted that this is a response to the requirements of Russia on reducing staff of American diplomatic agents. “We believe that this action was unreasonable and is damaged by the common relations between our countries,” said the press secretary of the State Department of Hiser Neurt.
On September 1, the Consulate General in San Francisco stopped receiving visitors . A thick black smoke was noticed, rising from the pipe of the building. Firefighters who arrived at the Consulate General building did not let them go inside and assured that everything was in order. In the courtyard of the Russian trade representative office in Washington, fire was also noticed. One could see how employees throw some papers into a bonfire diluted in the backyard.
On September 2, the access of Russian diplomats to the buildings was discontinued. The liberated premises were examined by the FBI agents . In the US State Department, the event was called bypass, clarifying that it was held together with representatives of the Russian embassy. Meanwhile, in the Russian Foreign Ministry, what was happening was called a "search", and the United States was accused of "violation of international law and its own legislation."