The Russian ambassador to the United States complained of “extreme spy mania” among Americans.
Anatoly Antonov made the comment to reporters Friday while taking a swipe at the U.S. for expelling dozens of Russian diplomats earlier this year in response to the deadly poisoning of an ex-Russian spy in the United Kingdom.
“They have to work in the conditions of extreme spy mania, which led to the largest expulsion of diplomats from the U.S. and closure of another consulate general. The workload for remaining staff of Russian foreign missions has increased,” Antonov said, according to state-run TASS.
The U.S. expelled 60 Russian diplomats in March in retaliation for the Kremlin’s alleged role in the nerve gas attack against an ex-spy, Sergei Skripal, in London. Additionally, Russia’s Seattle consulate was shuttered. The Kremlin denied having any involvement in the poisoning.
Months later, Antonov said “strict rules” for movements for diplomatic staff remain in place and lamented how Russian-speakers in the U.S. are also negatively impacted.
“The practice of limiting contacts between our workers and representatives of U.S. federal authorities continues. Requests for meetings with them are sometimes considered for weeks, even months. All of this, of course, complicates normal diplomatic activities,” he said. “The volume of tasks for the consular office on all services has grown tremendously. Because of closure of our facilities on the West Coast, representatives of the large Russian-speaking community can no longer resolve consular issues at the place of their residence.”
Antonov’s charge of “spy mania” comes weeks after Maria Butina, a Russian citizen, pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to act as an illegal foreign agent in the U.S. Also earlier this month, the Treasury Department announced that it was blacklisting several Russian military intelligence operatives involved in election interference around the world.
Meanwhile, special counsel Robert Mueller is reportedly poised to file a report on the Russia investigation to the attorney general as early as February. Mueller took over the Russia investigation in May 2017 and has so far brought criminal counts against more than 30 people and three Russian entities, producing more than 100 criminal charges.
