"Girls, giving lunch, doused with tears"

Sergei Lavrov forbade the US Embassy to hire Russian citizens. This has already happened. Excerpt from the British Book of Great Britain to the USSR

Everything is simple: you expose from the Russian Embassy in Washington those whom you consider to be employees of the FSB (or GRU), and we, not to mention the thin word, offer cleaners, drivers, etc. to import to Moscow from Washington.

The Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday that Moscow is launching a procedure that will stop the practice of hiring in the American diplomatic mission of Russian citizens and third countries. He also said that he would begin the procedure for denouncing an agreement regulating the trip of US diplomats in Russia. Permissions will be issued on Smolensk Square on an individual basis after consideration. In fact, the Americans will also be locked in Moscow, “Professional Intelligence Activities, which are mostly engaged in embassy employees, will be nullified.”

But everything was already!

In 1986, the American embassy was paralyzed in the same way. In 1989-English. And they crawled on the knees as nice!

He found the book of the ambassador of Great Britain R. Brettveta "For the Moscow River." This is how Sir Rodrik describes the situation of thirty years ago.

“... We had about a hundred Soviet employees, who were sent by the Office for the Service of the diplomatic corps (UPDK) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The KGB had many ways to influence Soviet servants to encourage them to convey the work of the embassy, ​​the nature of English employees, relations between them and their weaknesses - financial difficulties, addiction to alcohol and sex. Positions occupied by Soviet employees of the embassies were well paid and were strong. A simple threat to deprive a person of work at the embassy was usually enough to put him in place without resorting to more extreme measures - blackmail or threat to relatives ...

Constant nit -picking to our employees in Moscow caused continuous scandals with the Soviet government.

The determination of the English government also led to the same to cut the wings of the KGB agents in London. In 1971, the British expelled 105 Soviet officials from London - it was a mass action of the country's purification from real or suspect agents. In addition, a numerical ceiling was installed for the remaining. Further expulsions followed in 1985, when the Double KGB agent Gordievsky fled with the help of the British from Moscow. Next year, the queue of the Americans came. Reagan ordered 25 official Soviet representatives working at the UN. When the Russians made a response measure, he expelled another 55 people from the Soviet embassy in Washington and the Consulate General in San Francisco, as well as, following the example of the British, established the maximum number of Soviet representatives who could work in the United States. Then the Russians recalled all Soviet citizens who worked at the American embassy in Moscow. And the American diplomats had to clean their apartments themselves and wash the dishes after receptions.

The message that I had to convey was a letter from Ms. Thatcher Gorbachev, who informed him that she reluctantly authorized the expulsion of ten Soviet official representatives and three Soviet journalists from England. In order to soften the blow, she pointed out, she decided not to resort to our previous practice, but simply reduce the number of employees of Soviet institutions in London. We will not seek wide publicity, the message was said, but the Soviets are engaged in the reconstruction of their intelligence network in London, and measures are necessary to take measures. Chernyaev’s answer was distinguished by a characteristic delicacy. He did not resort to return reproaches, but calmly asked me if we really have evidence? Are we sure that we revealed those who followed? Why do we think that it will be possible to avoid publicity? Why, given the close relations between Ms. Thatcher and Gorbachev, she did not warn Gorbachev about anything during his visit to London, which was only three weeks ago (the question is quite reasonable, but one that cannot be answered) ..

The next day, late in the evening, I was invited to the Stalinist skyscraper on Smolenskaya Square, to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where the first deputy minister Kovalev, a person who always made an impression, as if he was in the grave (like many Soviet officials, he was the same poet), rejected our accusations. Eight official English representatives and three English journalists had to leave Moscow “for activities incompatible with their status” - frank retribution within two weeks. In the future, the Soviets will establish the same numerical ceiling for our state in Moscow, including English and Soviet servants, which was established for official Soviet persons in London.

Having sent three journalists, the Russians made publicity inevitable. Nevertheless, at the briefing that I arranged for the English press the next morning, this news was like a thunder among a clear sky. English journalists believed that after the successful visit of Gorbachev to London, everything was the most remarkable. Despite the leaks, which, as usual, spread the security agency in London, and despite the fact that 36 hours have already passed since my demarche in Moscow, they knew nothing.

Contrary to their harsh tone, the Russians were confused. Gerasimov, who usually quickly thought the press secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, could not explain how the alleged ceiling would be observed in practice (“Do not ask me, I did not write this document”). “The KGB representative for the press relations” (the figure probably specially invented for this case) presented some clumsy evidence against one of the journalists. However, Alexander Yakovlev, one of the main allies of Gorbachev in the Politburo, hinted that all three could soon return to Moscow. High -ranking officials did everything they could to demonstrate their friendly location.

Most lost the staff of Russian employees. I gathered them in my office and said that Jill and I am very loved and will continue to love their country. We are grateful to them for everything that they did for the embassy. We consider them our colleagues and friends and intend to challenge Soviet demands, defending both their interests. I have not seen anything bad in the fact that the KGB learns about my words, which, undoubtedly, happened, as soon as I said them. So I drove small wedges between the KGB and their proteges at the embassy. “Girls”, giving lunch on that day, silently doused with tears.

After that, we began to prepare for negotiations. Rod Line, the head of the political department of the embassy, ​​developed and implemented our tactics into life with extraordinary resourcefulness, art, energy and restraint. Our long -term goal was to obtain a fairly reliable assurances from the advice that they would die their intelligence activity in England. Then both sides will be able to weaken the restrictions on the Cold War, interfering with mutually beneficial business relations.

The negotiations lasted several months and in the end ended a number of open or implied agreements.

Some official Soviet persons clearly preferred to negotiate in London parks, and not in their offices, where, as they were probably afraid, they were eavesdropping ...

The KGB failed to achieve a revenge, we did not refuse anything significant and common sense prevailed. It was a little victory for both us and Gorbachev ... "

But now the trouble is that “little victories”, apparently, no one is going to win.