The disputes between the United States and Russia over the staffing of their respective embassies are still heated. The two countries on Monday, August 2, signaled the lack of progress on this sensitive subject despite their presidential summit and the start of a “Strategic dialogue”.
In an interview with the American newspaper The National Interest, the Russian Ambassador to Washington, Anatoly Antonov, deplored “Evictions” of Russian diplomats. He accused the United States of being “Persevering and creative” by limiting the duration of visas reserved for Russian diplomats to three years – shorter than for others, according to him.
“We have received a list of 24 diplomats who must leave the country before September 3”, he explained, ensuring that almost all would not be replaced “Because Washington abruptly tightened the screw on visa issuance procedures”.
Anatoly Antonov did not say whether the US request followed any quarrel.
The Threat of “Appropriate” Responses
State Department spokesman Ned Price said it was a description “Inaccurate” of the situation. According to him, the Russians knew that these visas would expire after three years and were free to apply for their renewal.
He, in turn, again accused Moscow of forcing the United States to dismiss Russian employees from their diplomatic missions in Russia. According to the US State Department, Russia now prohibits the US Embassy in Moscow from retaining or recruiting Russian or third-country staff, except guards, causing the forced departure of 182 employees and dozens of temporary workers.
“It is unfortunate because these measures have a negative impact on the operations of the American mission in Russia, potentially on the security of our personnel and on our ability to have diplomatic exchanges with the Russian government”, Ned Price told reporters.
“We reserve the right to take appropriate action in response to Russia’s actions”, he added, while assuring that the expiration of visas denounced by the Russian ambassador had no connection with this.
An open strategic dialogue
For several years, the two rival powers have on several occasions carried out reciprocal expulsions of diplomats, sometimes forcing the missions of the two countries to work in a situation of minimum service.
Against the backdrop of maximum tensions, US President Joe Biden met his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Geneva in June. They decided to hold a strategic dialogue between the two rival countries, which opened last week, also in the Swiss city.
In the interview published on Sunday, Anatoly Antonov, who returned to the United States in June after being recalled by Moscow last April, said Russia hoped “That common sense will prevail and that we will be able to normalize the life of Russian and American diplomats in the United States and Russia on the principle of reciprocity”.
