MOSCOW, February 2. /TASS/. Russia and the United States are expected to hold consultations in the near future concerning the functioning of their foreign missions and the situation with Russia’s Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov, a source in the Russian Foreign Ministry told TASS on Wednesday.

"This topic is discussed on a daily basis among other numerous issues related to the operation of foreign missions," he said when asked about how realistic it is that Antonov will have to leave the US amid the situation related to the issuance of visas to the security personnel of the US ambassador to Russia.

"There will be targeted consultations on the subject in the near future at the level of direct supervisors of bilateral relations," the source added.

Additionally, the source at the Russian Foreign Ministry emphasized that Russia urged the US not to escalate the crisis with the workforce in the two countries’ foreign missions.

"We unequivocally call on the US not to exacerbate [the situation around the foreign missions] and remind [them] that all the steps aimed at escalating the situation with the staff of our missions in the US and the US embassy in Russia were initiated solely and entirely by Washington. In each situation, the Russian side retaliated, but has never initiated any discriminatory steps throughout this period - since the Barack Obama administration," he said.

The source added that the upcoming consultations would include issues connected with the Russian diplomatic property and the de facto expulsion of diplomats under the pretext of rotation.

"Certainly, [the consultations will include the actual expulsion of diplomats under the pretext of rotation]. And about what is going to happen next. Yes, it is one of the major modules at those consultations," he noted. "And diplomatic property. Those are our key demands."

Antonov told reporters in late January that the US Department of State told Russian diplomats that the Russian ambassador would have to leave the country by April unless Moscow meets Washington’s conditions for visas to security personnel of the US ambassador to Russia. According to the Russian ambassador, there has been no progress concerning either diplomatic property or visas, or the development of relations.