The expulsion of two Russian diplomats, announced on Friday by Washington, in apparent retaliation for a similar expulsion of American diplomats, is “banal revenge” – according to the Russian ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov.
In a statement published on Telegram, he assured that “no argument” had been provided to him by the American side on the reasons for this expulsion.
“This does not do honour to American diplomacy,” he added.
The United States’ decision came following Moscow’s expulsion of two American diplomats last month.
“In response to the Russian Federation’s unfounded expulsion of two American diplomats from our embassy in Moscow, the State Department has taken the same action by declaring two Russian embassy officials in the United States personae non grata,” said Matthew Miller, Spokesperson for the United States Department of State.
On 14 September, Russia announced the removal of two American diplomats, accused of having served as “liaison” agents for Robert Shonov, a former Russian employee of the American consulate in Vladivostok arrested at the beginning of the year.
He was suspected of having transmitted secret information to the United States on the conflict in Ukraine.
Washington claims that Shonov was only hired by the consulate to carry out routine monitoring of freely accessible Russian media.
