Moscow is demanding Washington rethink its order to close three Russian diplomatic facilities, calling the closing a “hostile act.”
“We consider what has happened as an openly hostile act and a gross violation of international law by Washington,” the Foreign Ministry in Moscow said in a statement Sunday.
“We call on the American authorities to come to their senses and immediately return the Russian diplomatic properties or all blame for the continuing degradation in our relations lies on the U.S.”
The U.S. State Department said Saturday it had seized control of three diplomatic posts vacated by Russia at the request of the U.S. government.
In an email Saturday, a State Department official said the posts were inspected in walk-throughs with Russian officials, and not forcibly searched as implied in a statement by Russia’s Foreign Ministry.
The Kremlin has accused Washington of bullying tactics and claimed that FBI officials threatened to break down the door to one of the facilities.
The compound in Washington was one of three that were shuttered as the United States and Russia have engaged in a diplomatic tit-for-tat over the past several months. The other two diplomatic buildings ordered closed are in San Francisco and New York.
