Kremlin Doesn't Want to Respond to US' Seizure of Russian Property But May Do it

© Sputnik / Vladimir Pesnya / Go to the mediabankView of the Ivan the Great Belfry and the Moscow Kremlin's palaces and churches from the roof of the Lenin Russian State Library, Moscow
View of the Ivan the Great Belfry and the Moscow Kremlin's palaces and churches from the roof of the Lenin Russian State Library, Moscow - Sputnik International
Subscribe
Russia has shown great flexibility in approaching the seizure of its diplomatic property in the United States but reciprocal measures could be introduced, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said Monday.

View of the Moscow Kremlin from the Bolshoy Moskvoretsky Bridge. (File) - Sputnik International
Kremlin on US' Seizure of Diplomatic Compounds: Russia's 'Patience Running Out'
MOSCOW (Sputnik) — In December 2016, the administration of former US President Barack Obama imposed a set of punitive measures against Russia, including the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats and the closure of the two Russian diplomatic compounds. The actions were taken in response to Moscow's alleged interference in the US presidential election, which Russia has repeatedly denied.

Back in December, Russian President Vladimir Putin decided not to respond to sanctions imposed by the outgoing US administration and act in accordance with the ties built with the new US leadership.

"The issue is of course important. We showed extraordinary flexibility and a constructive approach… We reacted as we did, but in diplomatic practice and in all international affairs, the principle of reciprocity has not been canceled… The Russian side has enough patience, but it is not unlimited," Ushakov told reporters.

The aide stressed that Moscow cannot but respond to such actions.

"Any normal country in the world responds to an unfriendly step with some measures that it considers equivalent, but we do not want this," Ushakov said.

The Donald Trump administration is currently considering the return of the two facilities ahead of the US president's first meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G50 summit in Germany this week.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said earlier that Washington pledged to prepare proposals in the near future aimed to settle the issue of Russian diplomatic property seized in the United States.

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала