U.S. authorities have decided to close two branches of the Russian visa center in Washington and New York and have also revoked tax exemptions for Russian diplomats, as reported by TASS.
Anatoly Antonov, the head of the Russian diplomatic mission, confirmed the closure of the visa centers, noting the additional workload this will create for Russian diplomats and consuls.
"The Americans sent us a message about the closure of the visa center, and now Russian diplomats and consuls will have an additional burden," Antonov stated.
Despite this, Antonov assured that the Russian embassy would strive to continue providing necessary legal and consular services to Russian citizens in the United States.
In addition, American officials have revoked the tax exemptions previously granted to Russian diplomats. These exemptions typically include privileges such as residence and exemption from paying local taxes. Antonov commented,
"They took away our tax exempt cards. These cards provide privileges for diplomats of any country, in particular, residence and exemption from paying taxes to the local treasury."
In December 2020, the U.S. imposed a three-year restriction on the stay of Russian diplomats, which required 27 diplomats and their family members to leave the United States by January 30, 2022, and another 28 people by June 30, 2022.
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