Russian harassment of American diplomats in Moscow has “increased significantly” over the past two years, according to the State Department, following reports that two American personnel were drugged at a conference last year.
“We remain troubled by the way our diplomatic and consular staff have been treated over the past two years,” State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau told reporters Monday. “We have raised our concerns at the highest levels. In particular, the harassment and surveillance of our diplomatic personnel in Moscow by security personnel and traffic police has increased significantly. As we said before, we find this unacceptable.”
Trudeau declined to comment on reports of the drugging incident, but the broader complaint about the targeting of diplomatic staff adds a personal edge to the widening rift between U.S. and Russian foreign policy. The State Department issued the rebuke at a briefing dominated by the suspension of talks over the Syrian civil war and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to withdraw from a nuclear arms reduction treaty.
Trudeau declined to “characterize” U.S. relations with Russia when asked if they have reached a low-water mark.”I think what you see is that in areas where we have commonalities, areas where we can work with Russia, we continue to do so,” she said. “However, we do have sharp differences with Russia, certainly on Syria, on Ukraine, on this [plutonium treaty] issue right now where we can work with Russia to benefit the international security and
“I think what you see is that in areas where we have commonalities, areas where we can work with Russia, we continue to do so,” she said. “However, we do have sharp differences with Russia, certainly on Syria, on Ukraine, on this [plutonium treaty] issue right now where we can work with Russia to benefit the international security and also to increase our own national security [and] we will continue to do so.”
Putin wants to change that dynamic, however, by requiring the United States to tolerate his aggression in Ukraine, for instance, in exchange for cooperation on other policy issues. In addition to canceling the treaty, Putin demanded that the United States drop sanctions that were imposed in response to his annexation of Crimea and destabilization of eastern Ukraine and cut the U.S. military’s presence in NATO countries.
“The step Russia has been forced to take is not intended to worsen relations with the United States,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement accompanying the treaty cancellation, per Reuters.”We want Washington to understand that you cannot, with one hand, introduce sanctions against us where it can be done fairly painlessly for the Americans, and
“We want Washington to understand that you cannot, with one hand, introduce sanctions against us where it can be done fairly painlessly for the Americans, and with the other hand continue selective cooperation in areas where it suits them.”
“It’s disingenuous of Russia to cite the United States’ threat to ‘strategic stability’ as a reason for this decision,” Trudeau said. “The United States seeks a constructive dialogue with Russia on strategic issues, but it is Russia instead who continues to engage in destabilizing activities, and to suspend cooperation under existing agreements like this one that benefits international security.”
