CCTV News:The Russian Foreign Ministry announced on the 28th that since the US Congress passed an "extremely provocative" bill, which intends to strengthen sanctions against Russia, Russia decided to take countermeasures: reducing the number of US diplomats in Russia and prohibiting the US Embassy from using its houses in Moscow.
On the 28th, the Russian Foreign Ministry released a video on the official website, showing many facilities of the United States in Russia.
On the screen, a "notice" to the US is written in English. The specific requirement is to reduce all the staff of the US Embassy and Consulate in Russia to 455 by September this year, which is the same as the total number of staff of the Russian Embassy and Consulate in the United States at present.
Since August 1 this year, the US Embassy has been prohibited from using its holiday house in the "Silver Pine Forest" in the west of Moscow and its warehouses in the "Travel Street" in the south of Moscow.
Russian Foreign Ministry: The United States thinks itself arrogant and rude.
The Russian Foreign Ministry also pointed out in the statement that the United States "thinks it has a special status, arrogantly ignores the positions and rights of other countries, and uses fabricated ‘ Russia interferes in the internal affairs of the United States ’ Such as excuses, insisted on taking anti-Russian actions, and tried to restrict commercial cooperation between other countries and Russia by blackmail. " Therefore, Russia should take countermeasures against the United States.
Russian Presidential Press Secretary peskov confirmed that this statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was issued after the approval of President Putin.
The dispute between Russia and the United States may escalate, but it will not be "all-round confrontation."
In fact, strictly speaking, the two counter-measures announced by Russia on the 28th really can’t be regarded as a counter-measure against "the latest sanctions bill passed by the US Congress". After all, this bill has not been signed by Trump and has not yet taken effect — — Therefore, the Russian Foreign Ministry stressed in its statement on the 28th that "Russia reserves the right to take additional countermeasures against the United States".
In December last year, then US President Barack Obama ordered the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats in the United States on the grounds of "Russia’s alleged interference in the US presidential election", and banned Russian embassies and permanent missions to the United Nations from using their holiday homes in the suburbs of Washington and new york.
However, at that time, Russia did not take reciprocal countermeasures. According to Russian media reports, this is because considering that the White House is about to "change hands" at that time, the new President Trump may abolish this order, and Russia has no action.
Therefore, from this point of view, the countermeasures announced by the Russian Foreign Ministry on the 28th are actually aimed at the actions of the previous US administration.
As for the latest sanctions bill passed by the US Congress, some analysts pointed out that after Trump officially signed it, Russia will take further countermeasures, and this round of disputes between Russia and the United States will continue to escalate — — However, this round of sanctions and counter-measures should not lead to "all-round confrontation" between Russia and the United States. The two countries will still carry out "limited cooperation" on issues involving Syria and international strategic stability, while continuing to confront in disputed areas.