Moscow:
A Congressional proposal to expel 300 Russian diplomats from the United States would lead to the closure of US diplomatic facilities in Russia if implemented, Russia’s foreign ministry has mentioned.
US Democratic and Republican senators urged President Joe Biden on Tuesday to expel Russian diplomats if Moscow did not concern more visas for Americans to represent Washington in Russia.
“Those proposing such steps are apparently pushing for the closure of U.S. foreign institutions in Russia,” Russia’s foreign ministry mentioned, the Interfax news agency reported.
“They must understand that the blame for this will lie with them,” the ministry mentioned late on Tuesday.
It mentioned that Moscow did not have that quantity of diplomats in Washington and that the proposal appeared to involve diplomatic employees at Russia’s mission at the United Nations.
The U.S. proposal by the leaders of the Senate foreign relations and intelligence committees would mark an escalation in extended-operating tensions involving Moscow and Washington more than the quantity of diplomats they have in one another’s nations.
Russia in August banned the U.S. embassy in Moscow from retaining, hiring or contracting Russian or third-nation employees, except for guards, forcing the mission to let go 182 staff and dozens of contractors, the State Department mentioned.
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