Russia’s deputy foreign minister has threatened “retaliation measures” against the United States if the Trump administration does not return two Russian diplomatic compounds seized last year.
“Such unacceptable and illegal actions cannot go unanswered,” Sergei Ryabkov, Russian deputy foreign minister, told the state-run media organization TASS on Tuesday. “Nothing is to declare on the issue yet, but we have warned Americans that we need any unconditional return of the property; otherwise, retaliation measures will follow.”
#Ryabkov: we need an unconditional return of ??property in the #US??; otherwise, retaliation measures will follow ➡️https://t.co/XzbqQISrtk pic.twitter.com/HPBooDih6Y
— Russia in USA ?? (@RusEmbUSA) July 18, 2017
The Obama administration seized two Russian compounds — one in Maryland and the other in New York — in December and expelled 35 Russian diplomats in retaliation for Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election.
Russia has since protested the confiscation of the facilities, which U.S. officials say were used for Russian intelligence operations.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov complained about the seizures Monday and called the decision to prohibit Russia’s access to the two properties “robbery.”
“It was robbery in broad daylight,” Lavrov said, according to TASS.
The Trump administration has weighed returning the two compounds to Russia, and Sebastian Gorka, deputy assistant to the president, said Trump is considering returning the facilities to give “collaboration and cooperation a chance.”
“The fact is we may not share the same philosophy, we may not share the same type of statesman view of the world, but the fact is there are some issues of common concern,” Gorka told CNN last week.
Ryabkov met with Undersecretary of State Thomas Shannon in Washington, D.C., on Monday to discuss relations between Moscow and the U.S., but the meeting didn’t yield any agreement on the return of the two compounds.
“We expected great difficulties during the consultations with the Americans not only on the diplomatic property issue, but on most other issues as well, and so it happened,” Ryabkov told TASS.
A State Department statement following the meeting made no mention of the compouds, but said the two representatives worked through a host of difficult issues.
“The conversation was tough, forthright, and deliberate, reflecting both parties’ commitment to a resolution,” the statement said. “The United States and Russia seek a long-term solution that would address areas of bilateral concern that have strained the relationship.
“The talks reflected a spirit of goodwill, but it is clear that more work needs to be done. Under Secretary Shannon and Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabkov committed to holding future New START Bilateral Consultative Commission and Strategic Stability Talks and will exchange scheduling proposals in the near future.”
