The United States ordered the closure of Russia's Consulate General in San Francisco, an annex in Washington DC and a consular annex in New York City, the State Department said in a statement on Thursday.
The move comes after Russia requested the US cut its diplomatic staff in Russia by 755 people. "We believe this action was unwarranted and detrimental to the overall relationship between our countries," the State Department underscored, adding that with this new order both countries will have three consulates each.
"The United States hopes that, having moved toward the Russian Federation’s desire for parity, we can avoid further retaliatory actions by both sides and move forward to achieve the stated goal of both of our presidents: improved relations between our two countries and increased cooperation on areas of mutual concern," the statement concluded, but warned the US "is prepared to take further action as necessary and as warranted."
