U.S., Russia diplomatic row worsens

ALL THE vehicles
having diplomatic
license plates have
left the territory of the
U.S. Embassy’s former
compound, located in
the Serebryany Bor area,
the outskirts of Moscow,
a Sputnik correspondent
reported Tuesday.
The correspondent
specified that the last two
U.S. embassy employees
locked the gates of the
summer house before
leaving.
Moscow announced on
July 28 countermeasures
in response to the
looming US anti-Russia
sanctions bill and
expulsion of 35 Russian
diplomatic staff from
the U.S. and seizure of
two Russian diplomatic
compounds in the United
States in late 2016.
The Russian Foreign
Ministry said Friday that
Russia was suspending
as of Aug. 1 the U.S.
Embassy use of all
warehouses in Moscow
and a compound in the
Serebryany Bor park.
On Sunday, Russian
President Vladimir Putin
said the U.S. diplomatic
presence would be
reduced to 455 people, so
as to reflect the number
of the remaining Russian
diplomatic workers.
In December 2016,
Washington adopted
sanctions targeting
Russia over its alleged
interference in the U.S.
presidential election,
something which
Moscow has repeatedly
denied.
As part of the
restrictions, the U.S.
expelled 35 Russian
diplomats and banned
Russia from access
to two diplomatic
compounds being used
by the Russian Embassy
in Washington, as well
as Russia’s Permanent
Mission to the UN in
New York.
Russian diplomats
in the U.S. had less
than 24 hours to vacate
diplomatic property and
72 hours to leave the
United States.