The United States threatened to arrest one of the deputy ambassadors of the Russian Federation in the rank of envoy-counselor Sergei Trepelkov, on the condition that he stay at least one day in Washington. This was announced on Thursday, February 24, by Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov on Facebook of the Russian mission.
Thus, he commented on the expulsion of Trepelkov, which was announced on Thursday by the State Department.
According to Antonov, six months ago the United States demanded the departure of another deputy ambassador by January 30.
“At the same time, mocking measures were taken against his family. First, the State Department withdrew the accreditation of the children, and then the spouse, who returned to Russia ahead of schedule in the fall, ”he drew attention.
As Antonov said, then the Russian diplomatic mission took measures “to stop the escalation imposed by the Americans,” but the United States refused. In addition, the White House threatened to arrest the diplomat if he stayed in Washington even for one day, the head of the Russian diplomatic mission noted.
The Russian ambassador to Washington also called the new expulsion of the Russian envoy-counselor announced on Thursday as an unfriendly move and said Russia would retaliate.
“We regard the new expulsion as another unfriendly step aimed at reducing the Russian diplomatic presence in the United States. Our response measures are predictable,” the ambassador said.
Earlier, on February 24, the US informed the Russian embassy of the expulsion of their envoy adviser in response to the expulsion of US Deputy Ambassador Bart Gorman.
On February 20, US Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan said that it would be difficult for the US embassy to operate in the Russian capital if Russia continues to expel diplomats. He noted that in the halls and offices in the embassy “for the most part it is quiet”, there are several absolutely free floors.
On February 18, Moscow announced its readiness to take retaliatory measures in the event of the expulsion of Russian diplomats from Washington. The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, noted that the “visa war” and the shortage of personnel in the Russian diplomatic mission were provoked by the Americans, while Russia only reacts to the actions of opponents.
On February 17, Moscow expelled Deputy US Ambassador Bart Gorman from Russia. He was the second most important official in the US Embassy after the Ambassador and a key member of the senior leadership. Press Secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov said that this step is a response, which cannot be an action that provokes anything.
On December 1, 2021, Zakharova reported that in 2022, employees of the US Embassy, who have been in Moscow for more than three years, should leave the country. She stressed that such a decision is not the choice of the Russian side. According to Zakharova, this game was imposed on Russia by the United States.
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