the US government expels senior Russian diplomat from US in conflict with Russia. “We can confirm that the United States has informed the Russian embassy that we are expelling their envoy counselor,” a senior US State Department official said Thursday. The diplomat is currently the Number two in the Russian representation. The measure was a direct response to the expulsion of the deputy US ambassador to Russia, it said.
Vice Ambassador Bart Gorman was expelled last week. Gorman had a valid visa, had been in Russia for less than three years and his time there was not yet over, the US State Department said at the time. “We have made it clear to the Russians where we stand – parity and fairness,” said the US official, now with a view to the expulsion of the Russian diplomat.
There has long been a dispute between the United States and Russia over diplomatic personnel. A few weeks ago, Russia’s ambassador in Washington, Anatoly Antonov, complained that 27 Russian diplomats and their families had to leave the United States at the end of January. 28 more would have to leave the United States by the end of June.