White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan has been in contact with Moscow to discuss the issue of the two countries’ embassies, and Russia and the United States continue to talk on the topic, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said today, Reuters reported. BTA.
The number of staff in the embassies of both countries has been significantly and reciprocally reduced in recent years amid the deterioration of relations between them. The decline became noticeable after Russia seized Crimea in 2014, and especially large after the start of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine last year.
The number of US diplomatic personnel in Russia is currently one-tenth of the level in 2017, when it was 1,200. Also, about half of the remaining personnel are Marines or security guards.
Bilateral relations reached possibly their lowest point in March when Russia arrested American Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich on suspicion of espionage, Reuters noted. His employer and the US administration denied the allegation.
There also appears to be no sign that the former Cold War rivals may resume their arms control efforts after Russian President Vladimir Putin in February ended his country’s participation in the New START nuclear weapons agreement, which was the last remaining arms control treaty between the US and Russia, according to Reuters. Planned talks on resuming inspections under the treaty have already been called off, with Russia saying there was no point in discussing the topic without including unspecified broader strategic issues.
In an interview with Russian television today, Lavrov alluded to some of these issues. “No one wants a nuclear war, but not for nothing … counterweights were created in the form of these treaties we talked about – (on) missile defense, intermediate and shorter-range missiles and the Strategic Offensive Arms Treaty [Нов СТАРТ]”, he said.
Despite the deep freeze in relations, there are some signs that the two sides are still in contact, Reuters notes. On Monday, for example, Lavrov said that US Ambassador to Russia Lynn Tracy had spoken with Russian officials and had given “signals” that the US was not involved in the rebellion of the private military company Wagner, and that she had expressed hope , that Russia’s nuclear arsenal will be protected.
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2023-06-28 17:29:00
#Sergey #Lavrov #Russia #constant #contact
