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Washington not seeking diplomatic tit-for-tat with Moscow — State Department

"We don’t want to continue this kind of diplomatic tit-for-tat," the US Department of State spokesperson said

WASHINGTON, September 8. /TASS/. The United States is not willing to continue the diplomatic tit-for-tat with Moscow and wants relations to improve, US Department of State Spokesperson Heather Nauert told reporters on Thursday.

"We would like that relationship to improve. We don’t want to continue this kind of diplomatic tit-for-tat. There are far too many areas where we can, we hope we can, cooperate with Russia," she said.

Nauert did not elaborate on possible retaliatory measures from Moscow, stressing once again her country’s hope to improve ties with Moscow.

She also refused to comment on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s statement that Moscow may refer to a court the issue of its diplomatic property in the US. "Welcome to the American legal system," she said.

On September 2, the US authorities seized control of the buildings of Russia’s Consulate General in San Francisco and the trade mission in Washington, though both are Russian property and enjoy diplomatic immunity. Russian officials have been banned from the leased offices of the Russian trade mission in New York. Moscow regards the takeover of Russian diplomatic property in the United States as an openly hostile act and urges the US authorities to return the diplomatic facilities without delay.