Russia will respond to America's plans to expel 27 Russian diplomats and their families in the coming weeks, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov has stated.
"We will definitely respond. We have already warned the US side that in order to prevent a further decline of personnel numbers here we cannot help but to respond. They must stop".
Ryabkov further said that Russia does not want to delay meeting with the US to discuss the issue of visas and hopes to hold a gathering in December. The diplomat said that Moscow is waiting for a response from Washington.
Russia's Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov earlier revealed that 27 Russian diplomats will be forced to leave the country on 30 January and the same amount will have to depart on 30 June 2022.
Antonov stressed that the matter of issuing visas for Russian diplomats travelling to the US remains acute. He slammed Washington for perpetuating the practice of intentionally separating the families of diplomats by denying some of them visas.