Russian diplomat: Washington is not seeking a complete severance of ties with Moscow.
Russia’s ambassador to the United States has said that the United States is not seeking to sever ties with Moscow, saying Washington has threatened to detain a number of Russian diplomats if they do not leave the country.
Anatoly Antonov, Moscow’s ambassador to Washington, said the United States had threatened to detain Russian diplomats.
Antonov said Saturday evening that Washington had threatened to detain Russian diplomats who had been ordered to leave the country before the end of January.
“The persecution of Russian diplomats continues,” he explained, according to the RIA Novosti website. The expulsion of 27 Russian diplomats from the United States has just ended. You are said to have been ordered to leave the United States. When we asked what would happen to our diplomats if we did not do this. We were told that we would arrest you the next day and send you to the relevant authorities. “Is not this the expulsion of our diplomats?”
The Russian diplomat also said that the United States is intimidating Latin American countries because of Russia.
Antonov said that Latin American countries have been drawn to Russia, although they have to look at Washington.
“Latin America, which (in the eyes of the Americans) is the backyard of the United States, and the Russians are told not to go there,” he explained, according to RIA Novosti. Latin American countries are drawn to us. “Yes, they have to look around, because the sanctions baton is above them – if you try to take a step towards Russia and China, we will drop it on you.”
In another part of his speech, Moscow’s ambassador to Washington analyzed that Washington does not seek a complete severance of relations with Moscow.
Asked whether US politicians were considering Moscow’s response to a possible expansion of US sanctions over the situation in Ukraine, Antonov said they were under consideration.
