Russia orders US diplomats to leave by January 31 in retaliation amid escalating tensions

In response to the US’ decision to expel Russian diplomats amid soaring ties between the two nations, Moscow on Wednesday ordered the American embassy staff who have been in Russia for more than three years to fly home by January 31. Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that with the latest decision, Moscow’s intention was to respond to the United States in a corresponding way. He warned that if Washington does not correct its policy, another batch of US diplomats must depart by July.   

"By Jan. 31, 2022, those who have been working at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow for more than three years must leave Russia," Maria Zakharova said during her weekly briefing.

“If Washington does not correct its policy, another batch of U.S. diplomats must depart by July 1, 2022,” she added, without specifying the number of the affected personnel.

It is to mention that the latest development comes after the US asked 55 Russian diplomats and their families to leave the nation in two batches by January 30, 2022, and June 30, 2022. Washington’s decision to expel the Russian diplomats was due to a State Department's decision in December 2020 to impose a three-year limit on long-term assignments for staffers of the Russian Embassy in Washington, DC and Consulates General in New York and Houston. 

In response, Zakharova said that the restrictions went against diplomatic norms. She said that they were an “obvious encroachment” on the sovereign right of a country. The Russian foreign ministry spokesperson also stressed that Washington ignored Moscow’s efforts to find a constructive solution to the issues, thereby forcing Russia to take a reciprocal response. 

Soaring tensions between US, Russia 

Russia’s tit-for-tat retaliation comes ahead of an anticipated meeting between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation on Europe (OSCE) summit in Stockholm on Thursday. It also comes against the backdrop of Washington-led NATO talks on Ukraine. 

The US and Ukrainian officials have raised concern over the Russian military build-up near Ukraine. They have also warned Russia to stay away from aggression in Ukraine, saying that “any move” from Moscow may trigger “serious consequences”. The Russian authorities, however, have refuted the claims and said that they had no such intention, as per AP. The Kremlin has insisted that Ukraine and its supporters from the West were making the claims to cover up their own allegedly aggressive designs. 

(With inputs from ANI)