Moscow will not take away the State Department’s real estate for now, so as not to be sucked into the funnel
The issue of returning expropriated Russian real estate to the United States was raised today during negotiations in Washington between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.
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Sergei Lavrov stated this at a press conference today.
“The issue of property stands apart in our negotiations. This is our property, confirmed by official US legal documents. Our rights are not denied by our American partners. It is clear that in the last days of the Obama administration there were these convulsions, absolutely petty actions both in relation to our property and in relation to our diplomats, who were ordered to go home with 24 hours notice. It seems to me that everyone understands, including in the Donald Trump administration, that these are unlawful actions,” Lavrov said.
According to him, Moscow will not yet take symmetrical actions regarding the State Department’s real estate in Russia and American diplomats.
“We have every right to reciprocate. Americans know what this reciprocity will look like if it comes down to it. But we have decided not to answer for now, because, as Vladimir Putin explained, we do not want to follow the lead of those who are trying to suck our relationship into a funnel from which it will be impossible to get out. I hope that we will be able to defuse this situation without worsening our relations,” Lavrov said.
At the end of December 2016, the United States closed access to two residential complexes - the so-called country “dachas” of the Russian Permanent Mission in New York and the Russian Embassy in Washington, which are Russian diplomatic property. In addition, 35 Russian diplomats were declared persona non grata.