Russia may close the US Consulate in St. Petersburg

Photo by: kremlin.ru

After Russia reduced the number of American diplomatic missions in the country to 755 people and banned American diplomats from using several buildings in Moscow, Washington decided to close the Russian Consulate General in San Francisco, as well as trade missions in Washington and New York.

Famous American commentator, writer, former diplomat and intelligence analyst James Bruno suggests that this relay of mutual “cuts” and “restrictions” with regard to consular institutions will not stop.

In his opinion, one should expect even greater cooling of diplomatic ties and, possibly, the closure of the US consulate in St. Petersburg.

“Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, when our diplomatic mission in Kiev turned into the US embassy in Ukraine, our countries maintained an unequal number of consulates. Thursday’s decision [to close the Russian consulate in San Francisco and two Russian trade missions in the United States] corrected this imbalance. After the closure of the Russian consulate in San Francisco, the US and Russia each have three consulates, respectively, based on parity. However, there is a risk that Vladimir Putin may order to close the US Consulate General in St. Petersburg, since from 1972, it was connected with the Russian mission to San Francisco on the basis of the principle of reciprocity, in accordance with the Consular Agreement between the United States and the USSR . Thus, the actions of Washington can actually lead to the strengthening of the “downward spiral” in Russian-American relations, ”noted James Bruno. Forum Daily comments.

During a press conference following the BRICS summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin did not rule out the possibility of further reducing the number of American diplomats at 155 people, although he did not say anything about the consulate in St. Petersburg.

“If we are talking about full parity, then these should not be 455 US diplomats in Moscow, but minus 155,” noted Putin.

However, Moscow will not do it yet and will try to resolve the issue through the court, the Russian president added.

“The fact is that we have agreed with our partners that the number of our diplomatic staff should be equal. The fact that the Americans have reduced the number of our diplomatic institutions is their right. Another thing is that this was done in an obviously such boorish manner. This does not decorate our American partners, ”he said.

Mutual expulsion from the countries of American and Russian diplomats began on December 29 2016 of the year, when 44 of US President Barack Obama signed a decree obliging Russian diplomats 35 to leave America. This document also closed their colleagues with access to two real estate properties in the states of New York and Maryland, which, according to American intelligence, were used by Russians for espionage.

In response, Russia banned the US Embassy from using a summer cottage in Serebryany Bor and storage facilities on Dorozhnaya Street in the south of Moscow. Russian authorities also expressed the need reducing the American embassy to xnumx people, to equalize their number with the number of employees in the Russian diplomatic mission in the United States.

In response to this, the US Embassy in Russia suspended the issuance of non-immigrant visas August 23 to September 1 2017. The issuance of renewed 1 September, but only in Moscow (before a visa could also be obtained in the consulate general in St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg and Vladivostok).

In addition, in response The United States decided to close the Russian Consulate General in San Francisco and some sales offices in Washington and New York.

Expert opinions about whether relations between the US and Russia can become even worse, read our material.The deterioration of relations between Russia and the United States: can things get even worse".

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