Russia: U.S. closure of diplomatic sites a 'blatantly hostile act'

[webfact]

Russia: U.S. closure of diplomatic sites a 'blatantly hostile act'

By Andrey Ostroukh

 

The Russian flag waves in the wind on the rooftop of the Consulate General of Russia in San Francisco, California, U.S., September 2, 2017. REUTERS/Stephen Lam

 

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Moscow denounced the American decision to close three Russian diplomatic facilities in the United States as a "blatantly hostile act" that violated international law and demanded Washington reverse the order on Sunday.

 

The United States has ordered the closure of the Russian consulate in San Francisco and two buildings housing trade missions in Washington and New York. It is the latest broadside in a tit-for-tat exchange between the countries that has helped push relations towards a new post-Cold War low.

 

Russian diplomats were working to vacate the properties over the weekend, including the six-story consulate.

 

"We treat these developments as a blatantly hostile act, a grave violation by Washington of international law," the Russian foreign ministry said of the U.S. order, which was made in late August in retaliation for Moscow cutting the United States' diplomatic presence in Russia.

 

"We urge the U.S. authorities to come to their senses and immediately return the Russian diplomatic facilities," the ministry added on its website. "Otherwise the USA will bear total blame for the ongoing degradation of the relations between our countries."

 

Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the foreign ministry, said that U.S. authorities had told Moscow that they expected Russia to sell the facilities, TASS state news agency reported.

 

Relations between the two nations have been badly strained since Moscow's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the subsequent separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine, developments which led Washington to impose sanctions on Russia.

 

U.S. President Donald Trump took office in January, saying he wanted to improve ties. But relations have been damaged by accusations from American intelligence officials that Russia sought to meddle in the presidential election, something Moscow denies.

 

Trump, himself battling allegations his associates colluded with Russia, grudgingly signed into law last month new sanctions against Moscow that had been drawn up by Congress.

 

When it became clear those measures would become law, Moscow ordered the United States to cut its diplomatic and technical staff in Russia by more than half, to 455 people.

 

(Reporting by Andrey Ostroukh; Editing by Pravin Char)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-09-04

[Daryle]

Trump met with Putin in person, before this decision! IMHO, this is just window dressing for American domestic consumption, as he has to be seen as not pro Russia. Putin's silence speaks volumes as compared to when Obama made a similar decision.

It will be interesting to see how much of Trumps proposed $45 Billion increase in defence spending gets approved in the upcoming budget. All this sabre rattling has the feeling of a major war in the making... take your pick: North Korea, China or Russia. Enough from me, I better get back to building my nuclear shelter.

Sent from my SM-T530 using Tapatalk

[LannaGuy]

They are right it's a very stupid thing to do with the support they will need for NK etc. 

[kamahele]

5 hours ago, LannaGuy said:

They are right it's a very stupid thing to do with the support they will need for NK etc. 

And what Support will Russia provide with NK?

[craigt3365]

9 hours ago, LannaGuy said:

They are right it's a very stupid thing to do with the support they will need for NK etc. 

Russia and China are still doing business with North Korea. Great support.

[craigt3365]

3 hours ago, kamahele said:

And what Support will Russia provide with NK?

China and Russia are doing trade with North Korea despite the sanctions. Both are selling oil. And selling and buying goods.

 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/06/05/russia-boosts-trade-north-korea-china-cuts/102389824/
 

Quote

 

As China pulls trade from North Korea, Russia gets cozy with Kim Jong Un

 

Trade between Russia and North Korea increased by 73% during the first two months of 2017 compared to the same period the year before, boosted mostly by increased coal deliveries from Russia, according to Russian state-owned news site Sputnik.

 

 

[LannaGuy]

2 hours ago, craigt3365 said:

Russia and China are still doing business with North Korea. Great support.

Shame on them for doing so and I assume from that comment you support USA cutting off all trading links with those two countries. I also assume you support the USA's stupid antagonism of Russia and China. This is heading for calamity.

[Dumbastheycome]

7 minutes ago, LannaGuy said:

Shame on them for doing so and I assume from that comment you support USA cutting off all trading links with those two countries. I also assume you support the USA's stupid antagonism of Russia and China. This is heading for calamity.

Sadly so. For  the  select  few perhaps it is the  lure  of the  silver  lining of a very  dark  cloud. For the naive  remainder  it is the promise  of militarized control.  Bye  bye  to the illusions  of  democracy.

[craigt3365]

20 minutes ago, LannaGuy said:

Shame on them for doing so and I assume from that comment you support USA cutting off all trading links with those two countries. I also assume you support the USA's stupid antagonism of Russia and China. This is heading for calamity.

USA's stupid antagonism? Ummm....Russia hacking started all this. You seem to have things backwards.

 

I support Russia and China cutting off trade with North Korea, just like they promised. What's wrong with that?

 

[hawker9000]

18 hours ago, Daryle said:

Trump met with Putin in person, before this decision! IMHO, this is just window dressing for American domestic consumption, as he has to be seen as not pro Russia. Putin's silence speaks volumes as compared to when Obama made a similar decision.

It will be interesting to see how much of Trumps proposed $45 Billion increase in defence spending gets approved in the upcoming budget. All this sabre rattling has the feeling of a major war in the making... take your pick: North Korea, China or Russia. Enough from me, I better get back to building my nuclear shelter.

Sent from my SM-T530 using Tapatalk
 

"All this sabre rattling has the feeling of a major war in the making... "

 

I think we should have a poll to find out which has been the most often parroted over the last quarter century (or so), this, or the ever-looming global economic catastrophe due to the federal debt.   Scare mongers just never rest and drama always sells.

 

[LannaGuy]

9 hours ago, craigt3365 said:

USA's stupid antagonism? Ummm....Russia hacking started all this. You seem to have things backwards.

 

I support Russia and China cutting off trade with North Korea, just like they promised. What's wrong with that?

 

So we agree on a portion of your post but not the first part which is a bit weird as you have claimed Trump was 'in on' any Russia involvement so why would he go against them?  you can't have it both ways.

[Andaman Al]

23 hours ago, Daryle said:

Trump met with Putin in person, before this decision! IMHO, this is just window dressing for American domestic consumption, as he has to be seen as not pro Russia. Putin's silence speaks volumes as compared to when Obama made a similar decision.

It will be interesting to see how much of Trumps proposed $45 Billion increase in defence spending gets approved in the upcoming budget. All this sabre rattling has the feeling of a major war in the making... take your pick: North Korea, China or Russia. Enough from me, I better get back to building my nuclear shelter.

Sent from my SM-T530 using Tapatalk
 

Bang on the money !!

 

If this were for real and not staged by Putin and Trump we would be going over endless re-shows of two hookers in Moscow peeing on Trumps bed already. Oh to have those videos released  

[craigt3365]

On 09/05/2017 at 6:34 AM, LannaGuy said:

So we agree on a portion of your post but not the first part which is a bit weird as you have claimed Trump was 'in on' any Russia involvement so why would he go against them?  you can't have it both ways.

It's assumed Trump was in on this. That's yet to be proven, but he's been caught in so many lies surrounding this, it's probably true. How deep is the question.

 

If you've been following Trump, you know he flip flops all the time. He's unpredictable. If Putin did try to help him win, he's sure regretting it now! LOL