In response to Moscow's action to reduce the number of American diplomats, the U.S. Department of State issued an order on Thursday to close the Russian consulate in San Francisco and two of its offices in Washington D.C. and New York. This new directive from the U.S. State Department follows reciprocal actions between the two countries against each other. In reaction to U.S. congressional sanctions against Moscow, the Russian Foreign Ministry last month asked the U.S. government to reduce the number of its diplomats and staff in Russia to 455, which is the same number as Russian diplomats in the U.S. The U.S. Congress states that the new sanctions against Russia were imposed due to this country's interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential elections, as well as the annexation of Crimea and the Ukraine crisis. Russia denies the allegations of interference in the U.S. elections. According to Reuters, Heather Nauert, the spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, announced on Thursday that considering the Russians' desire for equal conditions, the U.S. has asked the Russian government to close its consulate in San Francisco and two offices in Washington D.C. and New York by September 2. A senior U.S. official also told Reuters that Rex Tillerson, the U.S. Secretary of State, informed Sergey Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister, of this matter during a phone call on Thursday. This official also added that Rex Tillerson and Sergey Lavrov are scheduled to meet on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in September. The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that Sergey Lavrov expressed regret over the closure of the consulate and the two offices during his phone conversation with Rex Tillerson. The Russian Foreign Ministry also announced that after a thorough assessment of the U.S. action on Thursday, Moscow would respond to this action. This round of diplomatic confrontation between Moscow and Washington began in the last days of Barack Obama's administration. Initially, the Obama administration ordered the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats from the U.S. last December and also imposed sanctions on two Russian intelligence agencies. Obama administration officials also closed two Russian-owned buildings in New York and Maryland at that time. U.S. intelligence and security agencies, and consequently the Obama administration, accused Vladimir Putin of personally directing efforts to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential elections, including cyberattacks against Democrats. In this context, Putin called for the expulsion of 755 American diplomats from Russian territory.
The U.S. Orders Closure of Russian Consulate in San Francisco
The U.S. has ordered the closure of the Russian consulate in San Francisco and two offices in Washington D.C. and New York in retaliation for Russia's reduction of American diplomats. This escalation in diplomatic tensions is part of ongoing sanctions and counter-sanctions between the two nations over election interference and other geopolitical issues.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
The U.S. has ordered the closure of the Russian consulate in San Francisco and two offices in Washington D.C. and New York in retaliation for Russia's reduction of American diplomats. This action escalates the ongoing diplomatic tensions between the two countries.
- The U.S. State Department's order follows Russia's demand for a reduction of U.S. diplomats in Russia.
- This diplomatic confrontation has roots in allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential elections.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
The U.S. and Russia have been engaged in a tit-for-tat diplomatic struggle, particularly following allegations of Russian interference in U.S. elections and other geopolitical disputes. This ongoing conflict has historical roots, dating back to the Cold War.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →
Translation confidence: 85%