For a long time, Russia has not been surprised by the tricks of the outgoing Trump administration.
Closing the US Consulates General in Vladivostok and Yekaterinburg?
It is strange that they generally maintain diplomatic relations.
With the attitude shown by the clerks of the State Department, it is close to a complete break.
What for?
It seems that Washington themselves do not know the answer to this question.
Any actions against Russia are considered a priori justified there.
In the old days it was called "cave anti-communism", now there are new, non-ideological reasons.
“Pompeo has real agony and anti-Russian fever.
Closing the US Consulates General in the Russian Federation and making Russia one of America's enemies will not solve either internal problems or problems in bilateral relations.
Aggressive policy is unleashed not by Moscow, but by similar gentlemen from Washington "- this was the answer of the head of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs Leonid Slutsky.
Responsible person's reaction.
Someone who, due to his duty, is accustomed to build, collect, support rather than destroy.
The closure of two US consulates in Russia will not be able to further spoil relations between the two countries, Dmitry Peskov philosophically noted.
It was not difficult for him to formulate a position.
Earlier, the President of the Russian Federation spoke about a wider range of issues.
“You can't spoil a spoiled relationship.
They are already spoiled, ”stated Vladimir Putin.
I am reminded of the famous "what is dead cannot die" from Game of Thrones.
Such are the games in Washington now.
The Federation Council called it preparation for the "ice" war.
I mean, super cold.
It is interesting that the American side names two completely different reasons for the winding down of diplomatic missions.
The State Department speaks about the need to optimize and save $ 3.2 million. The embassy in Moscow (one step lower) refers to the worsening epidemiological situation.
Both are reminiscent of childish babble, but one senses that the Moscow diplomatic mission was slightly stunned by the energetic initiative of their superiors and are trying to somehow soften the situation.
What if the upstairs come to their senses?
Probably, the movements around the American diplomatic missions would have looked different if Pompeo hadn't blurted out what he blurted out the other day.
Namely, he directly called Russia an enemy of the United States.
“Many want to undermine our way of life, our republican and basic democratic principles.
Russia is definitely on this list, ”the Secretary of State said.
Neither give nor take Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev with his famous "We will bury you."
Then Khrushchev was buried.
And their own.
Everything goes to the fact that something similar can happen to Pompeo.
They will be removed from politics for inadequacy.
And nothing else but inadequacy can be called the decision to close the consulates.
What will the new order lead to?
It will become more difficult for American diplomats to provide consular assistance to compatriots - the distances in our country are enormous.
Those Russians who have contacts with the United States will also have difficulties.
Our officials are concentrated mainly in Moscow and will not even notice the problem.
But for private traders, there will be a significant inconvenience.
Flying across multiple time zones for a visa interview is a tough one.
But how many individuals need to fly so directly to America?
Why would they go there?
To work or study, or for some scientific need, or for family reasons, only a few scamper across the ocean.
Russians for the most part prefer to live in their homeland.
And, perhaps, they even refer to those who, like Figaro, here and there, with some suspicion.
Like, our people do not travel to the USA.
This, of course, is a hyperbole, but it has some grounds.
We did not call them the enemy.
We were named.
By the way, American diplomatic missions are not only a place for solving technical issues, but also a springboard for broadcasting political influence.
Let us recall how many copies were broken around the same consulate in Yekaterinburg, which either implanted democracy in the Urals, or formed an environment for potential protest.
Now that there is no consulate, this problem will be solved by itself.
A woman with a cart is easier for a mare.
True, this does not relieve concerns about the strategic outlook for Russian-American relations.
Still, the two superpowers are largely responsible for the fate of the planet and the peoples living on it.
And if they butt each other out of the blue, without serious reasons, a natural question will arise in the world: is it worth listening to the voice of the leading countries?
It seems that with his harsh rhetoric and immature decisions, Pompeo undermines the foundation of American hegemony more successfully than the notorious "Russian threat."
The author's point of view may not coincide with the position of the editorial board.