Zakharova called the expulsion of US Deputy Ambassador Gorman a mirror response
Maria Zakharova. Photo: Maxim Shemetov / Reuters
The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, explained the expulsion of US Deputy Ambassador Bart Gorman as a mirror measure. The corresponding statement was published on the department's website.
The diplomat noted that Gorman was declared persona non grata in response to the unjustified expulsion of Russia's envoy adviser in Washington. At the same time, Zakharova stressed that the US State Department “defiantly ignored” Moscow's request to extend his stay at least until the arrival of the “replacement”.
The expulsion of Gorman became known on February 17. Jason Rebholz, a spokesman for the diplomatic mission, noted that “Gorman was the second most important official in the US Embassy in Moscow after the ambassador and a key member of the senior leadership of the embassy.”
visa war
The representative of the Foreign Ministry stressed that the departure of the Russian diplomat exacerbated the already critical personnel shortage in the diplomatic mission, which was formed due to the “visa war” unleashed by the American side.
We repeat once again: the mass expulsions of diplomats and the growing “visa war” are not our choice. Unfortunately, in the understanding of the US Administration, the normalization of bilateral relations is a one-way street. Of course, we do not intend to put up with such a discriminatory approach.
Maria ZakharovaOfficial representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry
Zakharova noted that the Russian side “repeatedly and at different levels” suggested that Washington stop worsening the conditions for the functioning of the diplomatic missions of both countries and reset all the restrictions introduced in recent years. She also recalled that it was the United States that initiated the next expulsion exchange in September 2021, demanding the departure of 55 Russian diplomats and administrative and technical employees in two stages – until January 30 and June 30, 2022.
Earlier, Russian Consul General to the United States Sergei Ovsyannikov said that for the first time in history, only five people work at the Consulate General in New York. According to him, the Consulate General also for the first time does not have a security officer, which is a “blatant fact.”
The US is considering retaliatory measures
In turn, the US administration called Gorman's expulsion from Moscow a step towards escalation. “Moscow's actions were not provoked, we consider them a step towards escalation and are already evaluating a possible response,” said US State Department spokesman Ned Price.
He also stressed that the US Deputy Ambassador still has a valid visa. According to the representative of the American department, it was Moscow that made the American mission in Russia “significantly worse staffed” than the Russian mission in the United States.
The strained relations between Russia and the United States have been reflected in the work of the diplomatic departments of both countries for more than a year. Earlier, Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov said that representatives of the State Department, against the background of the situation with visas, put forward an ultimatum, threatening him with expulsion from the country if the Russian side did not fulfill a number of conditions. According to him, Washington is “doing everything to shrink the Russian diplomatic presence” in the country.
A possible solution to the visa crisis
Earlier, Russia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) Vasily Nebenzya handed over to UN Secretary General António Guterres a message from Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. In it, the Russian side calls for the start of arbitration in order to sort out the actions of the authorities of the country, which is obliged to provide conditions for the work of the mission to the UN.
Nebenzya stressed that the Russian permanent mission to the UN is experiencing serious problems regarding the extension of visas for existing employees. According to him, diplomats cannot leave the country even if a close relative dies.
According to Dmitry Polyansky, First Deputy Permanent Representative of Russia to the UN, Guterres has every reason and opportunity to launch this procedure. He noted that such a measure would be a possible solution to the diplomatic visa crisis in the United States, as it would encourage the US authorities to meet Russia halfway, because otherwise Washington could face consequences.
