Russian parliamentarians will be suspending their business trips to the United States following the incident involving the questioning of their colleague Inga Yumasheva at JFK Airport in New York City, according to the speaker for the lower house of the Russian parliament, Anastasia Kashevarova.
"Due to the situation that emerged during State Duma lawmaker Inga Yumasheva's visit to the US, the delegates corps will suspend visits to the US," Kashevarova wrote on her Telegram channel.
The speaker added that the trips will remain suspended until the US authorities clarify the situation and offer their apologies.
"Business trips to the US will be suspended until US authorities explain officially why the FBI questioned Yumasheva during an hour in the New York airport, and until they apologise," Kashevarova specified.
According to Kashevarova, Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Financial Market Anatoly Aksakov was scheduled to fly to the United States but has cancelled his trip.
Last week, Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov said that Yumasheva, who was heading to the Fort Ross Dialogue forum, had been detained upon arrival at the airport in New York, and an FBI officer asked her "obscure and unacceptable questions" for an hour, and then offered to continue communication in a cafe in an informal setting. The Russian Embassy in the US sent a note of protest to the US State Department, demanding to explain the incident.
