REVENGE: Russia closes US consulate in St. Petersburg, expels 60 diplomats

Russian foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov has said that the country will expel sixty US diplomats and close the US consulate in St. Petersburg, in a response to the mass expulsion of Russian diplomats initiated by the US and UK.

On Monday, Washington expelled 48 Russian diplomats from the bilateral mission and 12 more from the UN mission, and shut down the Russian consulate in Seattle.


Canada, Australia and a number of US allies in Europe have followed up by expelling over 90 Russian diplomats.

“In addition to the mirror response to the US, Moscow will expel the equal number of diplomats from those countries,” Lavrov said.


Among the US diplomats being expelled are 58 from the US Embassy in Moscow, and two officials from the General Consulate in Yekaterinburg.

The diplomats will have until April 5 to leave Russia. The US General Consulate in St. Petersburg is to be shut down by March 31.

Source: Reuters.