Washington:
US Democratic and Republican senators urged President Joe Biden on Tuesday to expel 300 Russian diplomats from the United States if Moscow does not problem more visas for Americans to represent Washington in Russia.
The suggestion from the leaders of the Senate foreign relations and intelligence committees – Democrats Bob Menendez and Mark Warner and Republicans Jim Risch and Marco Rubio – would mark a sharp escalation in an ongoing dispute more than embassy staffing amid tension amongst Washington and Moscow.
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 stated.
That meant there are only about one hundred U.S. diplomats in Russia, compared with 400 Russian diplomats across the United States, the senators stated.
“This disproportionality in diplomatic representation is unacceptable. Accordingly, Russia must issue enough visas to approach parity between the number of American diplomats serving in Russia and the number of Russian diplomats serving in the United States,” the senators wrote in a letter to Biden.
If Moscow does not do so, they stated Biden ought to commence expelling as numerous as 300 Russian diplomats.
The White House and State Department did not straight away respond to a request for comment.
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