"We spoke about the principle of reciprocity. As to the fact that Russia's patience [is running out], this was also said at different levels," Peskov told reporters.
In December 2016, the administration of former president Barack Obama imposed a set of punitive measures against Russia over Moscow’s alleged meddling in the US presidential election and harassment of US diplomats stationed in Russia.
The sanctions included the closure of Russian diplomatic compounds in Washington and New York, which the White House claimed had been used as a cover for Russian spying activities in the United States.
President Vladimir Putin decided to no respond to the sanctions imposed by the outgoing US administration and act in accordance with the ties built with the new US leadership.
On June 13, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said that the US and Russia were discussing the terms of returning the two facilities to Russia.
In an interview with Radio Sputnik, St. Petersburg University’s associate professor Grigory Yarygin said that Washington was apparently waiting for the right time to give the confiscated diplomatic property back to Russia.
“The Americans are not ignoring the Russian requests and it looks like there is some work going on to determine exactly how this property is going to be returned. However, they apparently think that the political moment for giving these “dachas” back without losing face hasn’t come yet,” Yarygin said.
He added that this moment could come when Presidents Trump and Putin meet in Hamburg later this week.
Unrelated as they may seem, these two issues could hold the key to resolving the situation,” Grigory Yarygin noted.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said earlier that Washington had pledged to prepare proposals in the near future aimed to settle the issue of Russian diplomatic property being seized in the United States.
