A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department announced that the United States has expelled two Russian diplomats working at the Russian embassy in Washington. This move comes in retaliation for a similar action taken by the Russian Federation against American diplomats in Moscow.
The spokesperson, in a statement to the U.S.-funded channel “Alhurra,” remarked, “Following the expulsion of two American diplomats by the Russian Federation, the U.S. Department of State has declared two individuals from the Russian embassy in the United States as persona non grata.”
The spokesperson emphasized that the U.S. Department of State will not tolerate the Russian government’s pattern of harassing diplomats. This action sends a clear message that unacceptable measures against American embassy staff in Moscow will have consequences.
On the 14th of last month, Russia had declared two members of the U.S. embassy staff in Moscow as “persona non grata” and accused them of acting as “contacts” for a former Russian official who was arrested earlier this year. Moscow alleges that these individuals were transmitting information about the conflict in Ukraine to the United States.
The expulsions have further strained diplomatic relations between the two nations, adding to the ongoing tensions between Washington and Moscow.
