Spite of the arrogant neighbor

The authorities of St. Petersburg liquidated parking at the US Consulate General, a pedestrian crossing appeared in its place. This was reported by Interfax with reference to the city committee on the development of transport infrastructure.

“There was, in fact, a spontaneous, illegal parking. Now a pedestrian crossing is organized at this place and marking is launched. People who were walking along the alley may not make their way among cars, but calmly cross the road,” the press service of the committee said.

The measures taken are not related to the "diplomatic war" between Russia and the USA, the representative of the city authorities emphasized. “Residents of nearby houses have long turned to us with a request to organize a pedestrian crossing at this place,” he said.

On Thursday, it also became known that in Yekaterinburg, a road sign was removed from the US General Consults building, allowing parking to park the diplomatic mission. The city administration said that this was done at the initiative of the traffic police.

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."

On September 5, Vladimir Putin, at a press conference at the Summit, called the US actions unprecedented and stated that the Americans were behaving in a prison , demonstrating the "low level of political culture." The Russian president instructed the Ministry of Defense through the court to challenge Washington’s decision on the ban on Russian diplomats to use three buildings. In addition, Putin threatened to additionally reduce the staff of the American diplomatic mission by another 155 people.