Russia reciprocates US move to force diplomats out as tensions rise; gives Jan 31 deadline

The Russian Foreign Ministry announced on Wednesday that US Embassy staff who have been in Moscow for more than three years must leave by January 31, 2022. The ministry warned that if Washington fails to reach an agreement on the issue of Russian diplomats, another group of US diplomats will be forced to leave Russia by July 1, Sputnik reported. Moscow has previously stated that it will retaliate against Washington's planned expulsion of 27 Russian diplomats and their families in the coming weeks. The news comes just one day after Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov claimed that Washington was de facto expelling Russian diplomats.

Russia warned on Monday that it would retaliate if the US expelled Russian diplomats, while also criticising Washington for closing the Russian consulate in San Francisco. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told journalists on Monday that Russia is prepared to respond to the United States' plan to expel at least 27 Russian diplomats and their families in the coming weeks, according to Russia's state-controlled news agency Sputnik.

"The American side is trying to mislead the local and world public, deliberately distorting facts. We are credited with something that has nothing to do with reality. The situation is exactly the opposite," Antonov said Sputnik reported.

The US State Department unilaterally set a three-year limit on long-term assignments for employees of the Embassy in Washington and Russian consulates general in New York and Houston in December 2020, according to the ambassador. In the case of other diplomatic missions, there is a five-year stay requirement in the United States. The claim that the departure of 55 Russian diplomats does not constitute expulsion does not hold up to scrutiny.

It was made clear that if the Russians refused to comply with this requirement, they would lose their diplomatic immunity and other benefits. As a result, the ambassador emphasised that the discussion is about expulsion, Antonov added. He urged Washington to adhere to international agreements governing diplomatic property and the normal operation of diplomatic missions. Meanwhile, Dmitry Polyanskiy, Russia's Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, warned that every Russian diplomat in the US faces expulsion, stressing that the situation is unpredictable.

US refutes expulsion claims

Despite the fact that Russian diplomats at the country's permanent mission to the United Nations in New York face fewer difficulties than their counterparts in Washington, they still face issues caused by US government restrictions that obstruct the working process, according to Polyanskiy. The order for 27 Russian diplomats to leave the United States by late January, according to US' State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Jalina Porter, is not an expulsion because Moscow can assign other diplomatic members in their place. It was described by Porter as a measure to ensure "greater parity," according to media agency.

(With inputs from agencies)

Image: AP