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US policy of pressure in visa issue will not yield results, says Russian ambassador

Russia is interested in normal, pragmatic relations with the United States, Anatoly Antonov said

Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov Alexander Shcherbak/TASS

Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov

© Alexander Shcherbak/TASS

WASHINGTON, July 18. /TASS/. The policy of pressure on Russia in the visa issue pursued by the United States will not yield any results, Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov told reporters.

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"In recent weeks, we have been faced with a situation where we issued visas to Americans, while they didn't. That makes us think about our potential steps in the future," he said.

"Media outlets are used to exert pressure on us, twist our arms and make us go ahead without expecting some kind of reciprocity from the United States," the ambassador added.

"That’s not fair, and the policy of exerting pressure on Russia is unlikely to yield any results," Antonov stressed.

"We are interested in normal, pragmatic relations with the United States. We are interested in a normal situation with issuing visas,<...> and we have offered several options to the Americans more than once," he stressed, adding that the next step should be taken by Washington.

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