"We are talking about the actual expulsion": Antonov said the US distorted the facts about the expulsion of Russian diplomats

Russian Ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov said that the American authorities "are once again cunning" and deliberately distort information concerning the demand presented to a number of Russian diplomats to leave the country.

According to him, we are actually talking about expulsion.

“The American side is trying to mislead the local and world community by deliberately distorting the facts.

We are credited with something that has nothing to do with reality, ”Antonov said in a statement posted on the diplomatic mission's Facebook page.

He explained that in December 2020, the State Department unilaterally set a three-year long travel limit for employees of the Embassy in Washington and Russian consulates general in New York and Houston.

At the same time, according to Antonov, a five-year period of stay in the United States applies to other diplomatic missions.

“The statement that the departure of 55 Russian diplomats cannot be regarded as expulsion also does not stand up to criticism.

It was clearly indicated to us that in case of refusal to fulfill this requirement, the Russians would be deprived of immunity and other diplomatic privileges, ”the ambassador explained.

“Thus, we are talking about the actual expulsion.

Moreover, the United States is trying to violate the sovereign right of the Russian Federation to make appointments at its discretion to its diplomatic missions, ”Antonov added.

The diplomat also noted that Moscow stands for an honest and respectful dialogue on all visa “irritants”, and is also confident that “if there is good will,” all problems can be resolved rather quickly.

“The Russian side is in favor of zeroing all the restrictions of recent years on a reciprocal basis.

We call on Washington to return to international obligations regarding diplomatic property and the normal practice of the functioning of diplomatic missions, ”Antonov summed up.

Thus, the diplomat commented on the statements of the deputy head of the press service of the State Department, Jalina Porter, who during the briefing stated that Washington does not consider the forthcoming departure of Russian diplomats a punitive measure.

According to a spokesman for the State Department, the current order will lead to the fact that Moscow and Washington will fill their diplomatic missions with employees on a rotational basis.

Also on russian.rt.com The Russian Foreign Ministry said that the United States has enough personnel to issue visas to Russians

"Our diplomats are being kicked out"

The forthcoming departure of 55 Russian diplomats and administrative and technical workers from the United States was previously announced by the official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Maria Zakharova.

At the end of October, she announced that it was actually a matter of expulsion, as a result of which "the situation on the diplomatic 'front' will only worsen."

Last week, Anatoly Antonov specified the timing of sending diplomats home.

“Our diplomats are being kicked out.

On January 30, 27 people with their families will leave us, and on June 30, a similar number will leave here, "Antonov said on the air of the Nightingale Live YouTube channel.

He added that the American side deliberately divides the families of the diplomats.

“We are facing a serious staff shortage.

Accreditation was taken from the spouses of a number of our comrades.

Children are not given visas.

I don’t understand what this policy is aimed at to separate the families of Russian diplomats, ”he stressed.

In this regard, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that Moscow intends to respond to the expulsion of 27 Russian diplomats.

He noted that the Russian side has already warned Washington about the forced retaliatory measures.

At the same time, Ryabkov stressed that Moscow does not want this, but "they cannot but respond in this genre."

"They were warned that in order to avoid further staff reductions, they must stop," TASS quoted him as saying.

Against this background, the Russian Foreign Ministry also spoke about the general state of consultations between Moscow and Washington on the problems of the functioning of diplomatic missions.

As Deputy Foreign Minister Yevgeny Ivanov explained, negotiations on this matter are not progressing easily.

"On some issues, it is possible to achieve (understanding. -

), that is, they are so dense, viscous ... In December they will continue," Ivanova quotes TASS.

At the same time, he expressed confidence that the number of employees of the US Embassy in Moscow is sufficient to issue visas to Russians.

However, according to him, now not only employees of ministries and departments, but also all other citizens face a problem in obtaining a visa.

“You know that Americans practically do not issue visas in Moscow, this is due to the fact that, as they say, they do not have the appropriate personnel who can process all these applications,” Ivanov said.

- We remember who started all these expulsions of diplomats, the reduction, how much the Russian Federation suffered and did not respond to the expulsion of our diplomats.

And only after the next steps were appropriate measures taken ”.