“The American diplomatic presence in Russia has now been reduced to such a low level that (the embassy) can no longer offer basic consular services such as issuing visas for Russian citizens who need to travel to the United States.
Now the United States requires our citizens to travel abroad in order to obtain a visa, ”he said at the Fort Ross Dialogue forum.
According to Ryabkov, Moscow considers such a situation unacceptable.
“We urge the United States to strengthen its presence in Moscow and send new employees so that at least consular services in Russia are provided in a more or less normal volume,” the deputy minister quotes RIA Novosti.
As previously noted in Moscow, nothing prevents the United States from fully filling its quota of 455 diplomatic personnel in Russia.