Washington agreed to the export of Russian diplomats from the United States by charter

The United States agreed to the export of Russian diplomats on a charter flight and expects similar actions in response. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller spoke about this at a briefing.

“We strictly adhere to the principle of reciprocity with Russia regarding special transport missions for diplomatic personnel and cargo, expecting that Russia will also keep open transport channels for our diplomats and cargo in relation to our embassy in Moscow,” declared Miller (quote from RIA Novosti).

June 27, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova toldthat the Il-96 government aircraft flew to the United States to pick up Russian diplomats who were ordered to leave the country due to the expiration of a three-year stay. Zakharova stressed that this is not about the expulsion of Russian diplomats, but about “restrictions in the work created by Washington on Russian foreign institutions.”

Earlier, Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov said that employees of the Russian Embassy in the United States receive threats up to and including physical violence, and US intelligence officers “walk around” around the diplomatic mission and try to recruit them. He also said that Bank of America closed the accounts of the Russian consulates in Houston and New York, and in some cases the Americans “even blocked the exit from the embassy.”