U.S. embassy says it is forced to reduce consular services in Moscow

The U.S. embassy in Moscow said on Friday it was reducing consular services after Russia restricted the hiring of local staff at foreign missions, the latest setback to strained U.S.-Russia relations.

President Vladimir Putin signed a law last week limiting the number of local staff working at foreign diplomatic missions, and ordered the government to draw up a list of "unfriendly" states that will be subject to the restrictions.

"We regret that the actions of the Russian government have forced us to reduce our consular work force by 75%," the U.S. embassy said in a statement.

"Effective May 12, U.S. Embassy Moscow will reduce consular services offered to include only emergency U.S. citizen services and a very limited number of age-out and life or death emergency immigrant visas," it said. "Non-immigrant visa processing for non-diplomatic travel will cease."

Moscow's ties with Washington have sunk to a post-Cold War low after President Joe Biden said he believed Putin was "a killer".

The United States imposed new sanctions on Russia this month for alleged malign activity, including interfering in last year's U.S. election, cyber hacking and "bullying" neighboring Ukraine.

It also warned Russia of unspecified consequences if Alexei Navalny, an opposition politician who was on hunger strike in prison for more than three weeks, were to die.

Moscow retaliated with sanctions against the United States, and has rejected what it sees as foreign interference in the Navalny case.

Russia's ties with several countries in eastern Europe have also deteriorated in recent weeks, leading to a series of diplomatic expulsions.

The embassy in Moscow also urged U.S. citizens in Russia to heed a June 15 deadline set by the Russian government when a temporary extension to visas, residence permits and immigration documents expires.



REUTERS