US Closes Russian Consulate General in San Francisco, Entities in NYC and Washington

The US Department of State explained the removal of the Russian flags from the buildings of the closed Russian diplomatic properties in the United States.

Another "shameful event" in the row over the Russian diplomatic properties in the US. This time Russian flags were removed from the buildings of the Consulate General in San Francisco and the Trade Representation in Washington, DC.

The US Embassy in Russia expressed hope that bilateral relations would improve for the better.

Moscow has voiced a "decisive protest" against the illegal seizure of Russian diplomatic facilities in the United States and says it reserves right to retaliate, the Russian Foreign Ministry has said.

Putin's aide has shed light on a statement previously made by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who said that Moscow will bring the work of the US diplomatic mission in Russia to "parity."

A Russian deputy foreign minister said that Moscow was deciding on a US law firm that would ensure an effective defense of Moscow's position concerning the seizure of Russian diplomatic property in the US.

The Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman has commented on media reports of a fine for the Russian diplomats in San Francisco over the alleged "burning of garbage" amid tensions surrounding the seizure of the Russian diplomatic buildings in the US and Moscow's decision to sue Washington over the issue.

The Russian Deputy Foreign Minister spoke about the prospects of the US returning seized Russian diplomatic property and Russia's response to the controversial move following talks with a US State Department high-ranking official more than a week after the US law enforcement conducted searches inside the diplomatic facilities.

Russia may put restrictions on the travel of US diplomats around the country in the event the US side makes similar moves first, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said at a meeting with US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Thomas Shannon in Helsinki on Monday.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov commented on Monday on the closure of Russian diplomatic facilities in the United States, saying that Moscow will bring the work of American missions in Russia to full accord "with what is called parity."

State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert has said that the US does not want the Russia-US "diplomatic tit-for-tat" to continue, and hopes for relations to improve. Speaking to Sputnik, political scientist Yuri Svetov said the words of US officials differ from their actions so much that it reminds him of the newspeak in George Orwell's 1984.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry has released footage of some unidentified people engaged in “unknown activities” at the Russian Consulate in San Francisco, which Moscow was ordered to close last week.

Moscow shed light on details of the US law enforcers' searches inside Russian diplomatic facilities.

The Russian Foreign Ministry posted a video on its Facebook page, showing US law enforcers performing "unknown works" at the Russian Consulate General in San Francisco.

The governor of the US state of California commented on Moscow's decision to sue Washington over the closure of the Russian consulate in San Francisco, as well as the seizure of other Russian diplomatic property in the US.

The Russian embassy in the US commented on the state of affairs after Washington demanded that Moscow close down its consulate general in San Francisco and two other diplomatic entities in New York City and Washington.

Sergei Lavrov told his US counterpart Tillerson in a phone conversation that US authorities' seizure of Russia's diplomatic property in the country is a flagrant violation of international law. The phone talks came few days after the US law enforcement agencies conducting searches in a Russian Trade Representation building in Washington.

A spokesman from the Russian embassy says that Russian diplomatic mission in the United States is not going to reduce the scale of consular services after the shutdown of the country's Consulate in San Francisco.

Russian Consul General Petrov reports that non-residential areas of the Russian Consulate in San Francisco are currently under the US authorities' control.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova lashed out at the government of the United States for the closure and searches in the Russian Trade Representation, saying that those steps were driven by several years of anti-Russian rhetoric.