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‘Ignorant and absurd’: Deputy speaker slams US senators’ scheme over number of diplomats

"References to the total number of Russians with diplomatic passports on US soil are simply absurd and ignorant because this also regards the staff of the mission to the UN," Konstantin Kosachev noted

Russian Federation Council Deputy Speaker Konstantin Kosachev Alexander Demianchuk/TASS

Russian Federation Council Deputy Speaker Konstantin Kosachev

© Alexander Demianchuk/TASS

MOSCOW, October 6. /TASS/. The proportion of Russian diplomats in the United States and American ones in Russia is being scrutinized on the principles of reciprocity, Deputy Speaker of the Russian Federation Council (the upper house of parliament) Konstantin Kosachev told journalists on Wednesday, commenting on the recent letter by American senators to US President Joe Biden to expel 300 Russian diplomats if Moscow refuses to expand the US Embassy’s staff.

"Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has repeatedly cited statistics, which are transparent and I do not doubt them, that the proportion at the bilateral level is being observed scrupulously and using the principles of reciprocity, the upper limit, which is obviously artificially low, is randomly established by the American side. References to the total number of Russians with diplomatic passports on US soil are simply absurd and ignorant because this also regards the staff of the mission to the UN," the Russian legislator said.

According to the deputy speaker, if US lawmakers do not like this situation then "the only thing left for them to do - given the scope of their illiteracy in foreign policy - is to decide on demanding the removal of the UN headquarters from the US."

Earlier, a bipartisan group of American senators requested that Biden launch immediate measures to boost the number of personnel in the US Embassy in Moscow and expel 300 Russian diplomats, should the Russian Federation reject the increase.

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