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Ex-Envoy to Russia Sullivan Braced Himself for Toilet Cleaning Amid Fears of Staff Cuts

© AP Photo / Susan WalshActing Secretary of State John Sullivan finishes speaking about the release of the 2017 country reports on human rights practices during a news conference at the State Department in Washington, Friday, April 20, 2018.
Acting Secretary of State John Sullivan finishes speaking about the release of the 2017 country reports on human rights practices during a news conference at the State Department in Washington, Friday, April 20, 2018.  - Sputnik International, 1920, 12.01.2023
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WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Former US Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan recalled on Thursday that he was preparing himself to clean bathrooms and floors at the United States embassy in Moscow amid fears of staff cuts.
"[W]e weren’t sure that we were going to be able to have our locally employed staff come onto the compound. That’s when we first started to prepare for what’s called all-purpose duty," Sullivan said in an interview. "To prepare for that, we all … were given at least one other responsibility. I thought, as a leader, I ought to pick the crummiest, so I was with a group that was trained to clean the bathrooms and to clean the floors."
Russia and the United States requested reducing their respective staff at embassies and consulates in a series of tit-for-tat moves that have led to the closure of several missions.
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