In a weekend interview, Russian Ambassador Anatoly Antonov revealed that 27 Russian diplomats are to be expelled from the United States by January 30, along with their families.
The expulsions are related to expiring visas. 24 diplomats had been expelled for the same reason in September. Officials say that there have been widespread delays in getting visas renewed.
Antonov said he views this as an effort to “squeeze” Russian workers, and cautioned that they are facing “a serious staff shortage.” The State Department said the move was not directed at Russia and was “nothing new.”
Russia’s Foreign Ministry reported that as of late October, 200 Russian diplomats were working in the United States. Maintaining those diplomats may be a challenge with the visa delays.
Pity the petty because they are so…Petty.
Ask any American what they think, they would, at best, not believe it. The real question is who is directing these types of insulting bullying maneuvers and to what end? Is the idea to make Russia so angry they will lash out and give the MIC a “Pearl Harbor” moment? Or maybe it is “quid pro quo” for an action taken by Russia, such as not allowing US to have an “over the horizon” base near Afghanistan. Whatever it is, Russia will not respond beyond doing what it can to get around the restrictions. At some point the US will really really need something.
You raise some good questions Dan and they make me feel a bit ill-at-ease… Well stated. best-mg
Every Russian diplomat in America is considered a spy as is every American spy in Russia.
I’m not sure what a Putin-Biden summit would accomplish.
People seem to forget 24 years of cia priority when bush and son was around…
This is why Alexander Mercouris says the US government is totally dysfunctional. On the one hand, Biden says one thing – in this case, trying to set up a summit with Putin over Ukraine – then his administration does the exact opposite by expelling Russian diplomats. The same thing happens with China: Biden has a virtual summit with Xi and tries to reduce tensions – then the US talks about boycotting the Beijing Olympics and then sets up a “Democracy Forum” with Taiwan invited.
It’s like Biden is nothing but a mentally deficient figurehead who is incapable to reining in his own administration. Or more likely, in my opinion, is that he’s simply a congenital liar who thinks he’s smart enough to try to confuse his opponents as badly as he is confused.
At this point, there almost literally is no diplomatic contact between the US and Russia. The US Embassy in Moscow is almost moribund already. Dumping another 27 US diplomats will pretty much close the thing.
U.S. embassy in Moscow dwindling to “caretaker presence,” U.S. official says – https://www.reuters.com/world/us-embassy-moscow-dwindling-caretaker-presence-us-official-says-2021-10-27/
At this point, Russia and China would be prudent to simply break off relations with the US and ignore the US.