The US doesn’t even want to negotiate with Russia on its diplomatic property seized in that country, though this situation goes against all civilized norms, Vladimir Putin told an expanded board meeting of the Russian Foreign Ministry on Thursday.
The current situation in diplomatic relations of the two countries is the result "of the provocative policy of the American authorities who five years ago began to practice large-scale bans and restrictions for Russian diplomats" as well as seized diplomatic property "in violation of all international norms".
"Violated grossly, just took the property away and that’s it. Where is the Vienna Convention? They don’t even want to talk about this issue, it’s even strange somehow. It is a civilized, seemingly, world that we live in. No. Not really," Putin noted.
On September 2, 2017, the US authorities closed Russia’s Consulate General in San Francisco, the Russian trade mission in Washington and its rented office in New York as part of their anti-Russian sanctions. The first two facilities are Russia’s state property and enjoy diplomatic immunity. Moscow castigated the seizure of Russia’s diplomatic property as an openly hostile step and called on the United States to immediately return the facilities. On March 26, 2018, Washington shut down Russia’s Consulate General in Seattle (rented premises) and the consul general’s residence (diplomatic property).
In retaliation for the anti-Russian sanctions and the subsequent expulsion of diplomats, this year Moscow imposed restrictions on hiring Russian citizens and employees from third countries. The US Embassy in Moscow announced that beginning on May 12, it would reduce consular services, along with suspending the issuance of non-diplomatic visas. Visa issuance to diplomatic personnel also slowed down considerably. Since August 1, the US Embassy in Moscow has been functioning with only 120 employees, its lowest in five years. Meanwhile, the Russian Foreign Ministry noted that the US diplomatic mission was free to fill the quota of 455 diplomats by employing American citizens.
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