WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — On Thursday, the US administration demanded that Moscow should shut down its Consulate General in San Francisco and trade missions in New York City and in Washington, DC by September 2.
Earlier in the day, the Russian Embassy in the United States said that Moscow interprets the US demand to shut down the diplomatic properties as an adverse decision, but will not respond.
In December 2016, then US President Barack Obama decided to expel 35 Russian diplomats and block access to two Russia's diplomatic compounds as a response to Moscow's reported meddling in presidential election in the United States.
Moscow announced its decision to reduce the US diplomatic staff in Russia to 455 people, the same number of diplomatic personnel Russia has in the United States, in late July. The US embassy in Russia then suspended processing of non-migration visas citing staff cuts.
