The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the coming visit of the US Deputy Secretary of State for Victoria Nuland Political Affairs to Moscow. This was announced in his Telegram official representative of the Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharov.
According to her, the American diplomat, in accordance with the request of Washington, will spend the negotiations in the Russian Foreign Ministry and will meet with officials in other departments. At the same time, early since 2019 was in the black list of Moscow, it was forbidden to enter the territory of Russia.
What has changed
September 25 became known that Moscow put a condition for issuing a nuland visa. In particular, the Russian side demanded from Washington to issue permission to enter by a specialist department of non-proliferation and control of armaments of the Russian Foreign Ministry Konstantin Vorontsov, who cannot receive a visa since 2019. In addition to him, American visas did not receive a few more Russian diplomats, representatives of Roskosmos and the Ministry of Defense.
Later, a member of the Federation Council, Alexey Pushkov, drew attention to the situation with visas for Russian diplomats in the United States. According to him, Washington goes along the way of folding diplomatic ties with Moscow. “It was just a scandal with a refusal of visas to arrival at the UN General Assembly in New York Ten members of the Russian delegation – legislators and diplomats. The United States did not have the right to do this, because they are obliged to issue visas by agreement with the UN, but made it intentionally and demonstratively” , – said Senator.
Visa War
On October 5, it became known about the next complication of diplomatic relations between Russia and the United States. Then the American senators wrote an open letter to US President Joe Bidenu and demanded that he set Russia an ultimatum: Moscow should expand the US Embassy either from Washington will send 300 Russian diplomats. “The disproportionality of a diplomatic representation is unacceptable,” said in the letter.
In response, the Russian Foreign Ministry pointed out that there is no such number of Russian diplomats in Washington. The department suggested that Congressmen, “not possessing relevant knowledge in international relations,” considered also working in post-UN Russian diplomatic staff. “Who offers similar steps, apparently achieves the closure of American landscapes in Russia. They must be aware that the responsibility for it will lie on them,” – recalled in the diploction.