US Does Not Intend to Return Confiscated Russian Diplomatic Property, Ambassador Antonov Says

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - A row between Moscow and Washington over Russian diplomatic property flared up at the end of 2016, when then US President Obama closed two Russian diplomatic compounds in New York and Maryland and expelled over 30 Russian diplomats over Moscow’s alleged efforts to meddle in the US presidential election.

The US does not intend to return confiscated Russian diplomatic property, Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov said in an interview with the Rossiya 24 broadcaster on Monday.

A row between Moscow and Washington over Russia's diplomatic property flared up at the end of 2016, when then US President Barack Obama closed two Russian diplomatic compounds in New York and Maryland and expelled over 30 Russian diplomats over Moscow's alleged efforts to meddle in the US presidential election. In August 2017, under the Trump administration, the Russian Consulate General in San Francisco was closed, as well as the trade missions in New York City and Washington, DC in response to Moscow's decision to cut the number of US diplomatic staff in Russia. The following year, the US ordered the closure of the Russian Consulate in Seattle over allegations that Moscow was involved in the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal in the United Kingdom.

Moscow has repeatedly stressed that the US has been violating the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic and Consular Relations and some other aspects of international law by refusing to return the Russian diplomatic property.

Commenting on the ongoing diplomatic tensions, Antonov stated that the departure of Russian diplomats from the US in late June will seriously undermine the work of the Russian diplomatic mission.

"It will be a huge blow for us. 28 people are diplomats and administrative staff. It's hard to imagine what will happen after 30 June [when they leave the US]", the ambassador told the Rossiya 24 broadcaster, adding that the US does not consider Moscow’s proposals related to work of diplomatic missions.

The diplomat added that the Russian Embassy is staying in touch with the US Secret Service on the issue of ensuring the security of the Russian diplomatic mission.

"We are in close contact with the US Secret Service, which is responsible for the security of Russian foreign missions. I have to say – and I admit it – that in quite a large number of cases, the Secret Service comes to the rescue and helps us solve security issues", Antonov said.

The ambassador stressed that security has become one of the main issues of the Russian Embassy, given the threats that it has been receiving.

On Freezing Russian Assets Abroad

Antonov also touched upon the issue of the blocking of Russia's foreign assets. According to the diplomat, the US move to freeze its assets is pretty much "theft".

"You didn't mention the huge funds that are frozen in American banks. I'll be honest - I think that they were simply stolen from us", Antonov said.

In late February, the US and the EU froze the assets of the Russian Central Bank as part of sanctions over Russia's military operation in Ukraine.

According to Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, $300 billion of the country's gold and foreign exchange reserves were blocked as a result of this measure, which is about half of Russia's total foreign exchange reserves.

Later, some US media started spreading information about Russia allegedly defaulting on its foreign debt, which Siluanov dismissed as "incorrect". He explained that Russia is capable of paying off its debt, but due to the freezing of its assets abroad, the conversation of rubles into dollars is currently impossible and that investors should ask the US about the delay in payments.