In the latest developments surrounding the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, tensions between the United States and Russia have escalated as both nations expelled two diplomats from each other’s embassies. The expulsion by the US was seen as a retaliatory measure in response to Russia’s prior expulsion of American diplomats.
Russian Ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov, characterized the US expulsion as “banal revenge.” In a statement shared on Telegram, he criticized the lack of argumentation provided by the American side for the expulsion, stating that this action does not reflect well on American diplomacy.
The US decision to expel the Russian diplomats came after Moscow’s expulsion of two American diplomats in the previous month. Matthew Miller, Spokesperson for the United States Department of State, clarified that this move was a response to Russia’s unfounded expulsion of American diplomats from the US embassy in Moscow.
The initial incident occurred on 14th September, when Russia announced the removal of two American diplomats, accusing them of acting as “liaison” agents for a former Russian employee of the American consulate in Vladivostok, Robert Shonov. Shonov had been arrested earlier in the year, suspected of transmitting secret information to the United States regarding the conflict in Ukraine. However, Washington contended that Shonov’s role was solely routine monitoring of openly accessible Russian media during his tenure at the consulate.