In response to the closure of Russian visa centers in the United States, the Russian Foreign Ministry has vowed to respond with adequate measures. The closure of these visa centers and the removal of tax privileges for Russian diplomats is seen as a further deterioration in Russian-American relations. Russian Ambassador to the US, Anatoly Antonov, announced that both visa centers had closed and that Russian diplomats had been stripped of their tax privileges.
Maria Zakharova, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, stated that if such measures were implemented, Russia would respond with an appropriate response. She assured that Russian diplomats would continue their work and provide necessary legal and consular assistance to Russian citizens. However, the closure of visa centers and the loss of tax privileges for diplomats have raised concerns about the future of Russian-American relations.
It is uncertain what specific measures Russia will take in response to the closure of visa centers. The confiscation of US assets as a mirrored response has been suggested, but it remains unclear if this would compensate for the damage caused to the Central Bank and the Russian government.
Previously, on June 20th, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Evgeny Ivanov, accused Washington of artificially delaying the issuance of visas to Russian diplomats. He also noted that the rotation process for Russian diplomatic staff in the US has become extremely difficult.
