W*****B
发帖数: 4796 | 1 海参崴和叶卡捷琳堡的领事馆都关闭
US plans to shutter remaining consulates in Russia
Updated 9:38 PM EST December 18, 2020
The Trump administration has informed lawmakers of its plan to shutter its
two remaining consulates in Russia.
In a notification dated December 10, the US State Department told Congress
it intends to close the consulate in Vladivostok and suspend operations at
the consulate in Yekaterinburg.
Their closures would leave the US with only one diplomatic outpost in Russia
-- the US Embassy in Moscow -- at a time of heightened tensions between the
two nations and the notice comes as President-elect Joe Biden prepares to
take the helm of the US government.
Just this week -- after the notice was sent to Congress -- news emerged of a
widespread, ongoing cyberattack against numerous agencies of the federal
government as well as a number of Fortune 500 companies. The attack is
suspected to have ties to Russia.
According to the notice, a copy of which was obtained by CNN on Friday, the
State Department said it "intends to take these steps in response to ongoing
staffing challenges for the U.S. Mission in Russia in the wake of the 2017
Russian-imposed personnel cap on the U.S. Mission and the resultant impasse
with Russia over diplomatic visas."
A State Department spokesperson confirmed the intended moves, saying that "
the Secretary of State, in close consultation with Ambassador John Sullivan,
has decided to close the U.S. Consulate General in Vladivostok and to
suspend operations at the U.S. Consulate General in Yekaterinburg as part of
our ongoing efforts to ensure the safe and secure operation of the U.S.
diplomatic mission in the Russian Federation."
"The Department's decision on the U.S. consulates in Russia was taken to
optimize the work of the U.S. mission in Russia," the spokesperson said
Friday. "The resulting realignment of personnel at U.S. Embassy Moscow will
allow us to advance our foreign policy interests in Russia in the most
effective and safe manner possible."
"No action related to the Russian consulates in the United States is planned
," they added.
The congressional notification said that 10 US diplomats assigned to the
consulates will be reassigned to the embassy in Moscow and the 33 locally
employed staff will be laid off. The notice said that once the congressional
notification procedure was completed, the consulates, "with support from
Embassy Moscow, plan to begin procedures to remove all sensitive material
from the consulate, including computer equipment and controlled consular
material."
The department temporarily suspended operations in March at the consulate in
Vladivostok due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Russian government forced
the closure of the US consulate in St. Petersburg in 2018 in a retaliatory
move. Now, with the planned closure of the remaining two consulates -- which
was first reported by the Associated Press -- all services for American
citizens will be run out of Moscow.
The State Department told lawmakers that "the planned closure would not
adversely affect the Mission's ability to advance core U.S. national
interests, assist U.S. citizens, or to conduct adequate oversight of
programs because all of those functions would continue to be performed by
the U.S. Embassy in Moscow."
It is unclear when the closures will be completed or if they will be
finalized before Biden takes office next month. The President-elect has said
he and his team are preparing a "cost imposition strategy" to respond to
Russia for its disruptive measures, including the cyberattack if Moscow is
deemed responsible. Those measures will include, but won't be limited to
sanctions, according to a source close to Biden.
2020 Cable News Network, Inc. A WarnerMedia Company. All Rights
Reserved. | l****e
发帖数: 25 | | r*******1
发帖数: 1183 | | B********e
发帖数: 10014 | | C*********e
发帖数: 1 | | c******o
发帖数: 1277 | |
|
