MOSCOW (Sputnik) — According to the statement, Tillerson called Lavrov specifically to inform that additional restrictions on the activities of Russian diplomatic missions in the United States will be announced and outlined their main content.
"In response, the Minister expressed regret for the escalating tension in bilateral relations, which was not initiated by us, and indicated that Moscow will carefully study the new measures announced by the Americans, and inform [the US side] about our reaction," the statement said.
The decision was made "in the spirit of parity invoked by the Russians," the US Department of State said.
Earlier, Washington has reduced the size of its staff at the US Embassy in Russia by 455 people as instructed by Moscow in July as a response to the 2016 expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats and sanctions against Russia passed by the US Congress in July, the State Department said.
Moscow suspended the use of all warehouses in Moscow by the US embassy starting from August 1 following the US Senate's approval of a new set of sanctions against Russia, Iran and North Korea.
Comenting on the decision of the United States, Russian Consul General Sergey Petrov told Sputnik that the closure of the Consulate General in San Francisco "will take a toll on both Russian and US citizens." Petrov added that the United States retaliatory measures against Russian diplomats are disappointing.
