The decision to close the US Consulates General in Vladivostok and Yekaterinburg is not related to the “behavior of Russia” with the exception of visa issues. Writes about this The Washington Post, citing sources in the State Department.
The interlocutor of the newspaper explained that the reason for such actions is the reduction of the staff of diplomatic missions in the country.
At the same time, it is mentioned that the US Ambassador to Russia, politician John Sullivan, argued that the decision to close the consulates general was part of a broader problem in relations between the countries. In his opinion, they have developed into a “visa impasse”, as American personnel at the consulates in Yekaterinburg and Vladivostok or at the embassy in Moscow cannot obtain the relevant documents.
The publication also cites the position of the former American ambassador to Moscow, James Collins, who stated that the decision to close it contradicts the interests of the United States, since there are about 320 diplomatic and technical employees working in the consulates.
The Washington Post writes that the US move is in fact a recognition that relations with Russia are unlikely to improve anytime soon, even after the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden.
The US decision to close its consulates in Russia became known on December 19. At the same time, the State Department explained that such measures are associated with the optimization of the work of the American diplomatic mission. The State Duma of Russia considered that the closure of consulates general could be associated with the anti-Russian fever of the head of the American State Department, Mike Pompeo.
The consulate in Vladivostok was temporarily closed in March due to the coronavirus pandemic. In Yekaterinburg, it continued to work, but on a limited basis. If closed, the only US diplomatic center in Russia will be the embassy in Moscow.
