Shortly after CNN reported late on Monday that according to Russian deputy foreign minister Rybakov, the Russian government was "almost" at a deal on getting back property seized by the US...
Just in: Russian Dep Foreign Minister Rybakov says Russian government "almost" at a deal on getting back property seized by the US
— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) July 17, 2017
... the Russian rejected the report, instead saying that the U.S. must return the seized properties after diplomatic talks with the U.S. in Washington ended without a deal, with the Russian Foreign Ministry saying that Moscow reserved the right to
take "retaliatory measures" against the United States. The ongoing "diplomatic row" as Reuters puts it regards the December 2016 seizure by Barack Obama of two Russian diplomatic compounds and the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats over what he said was their involvement in hacking the 2016 U.S. presidential election campaign.
"The Russian side stressed (in the meeting) that if Washington does not remove this and other irritants, including continued obstacles to the work of our diplomatic institutions, we reserve the right to take retaliatory measures based on the principle of reciprocity," the Russian foreign ministry statement said.
Bloomberg reports that Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov discussed the "Illegal" seizure by U.S. of diplomatic properties near New York and Washington at talks with Undersecretary of State Thomas Shannon on Monday, the Russian Foreign Ministry in Moscow says in statement. Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday Moscow reserved the right to take retaliatory measures against the United States after a meeting in Washington ended without a deal on returning seized Russian diplomatic property.
Moscow has said a lot would depend on the outcome of a meeting in Washington on Monday between Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov and U.S. Undersecretary of State Thomas Shannon who discussed the diplomatic row. But the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday a resolution to the problem had not yet been found.
Meanwhile, the deputy foreign minister said that Russia could impose retaliatory measures soon if the United States does not return the szied property. Recounting his talks with Shannon in Washington on Monday, he noted that Moscow finds unacceptable the US position that it seized the Russian diplomatic compounds in Maryland in New York in December 2016 legally. "The longer the US persists, the less likely a solution could be found that does not infringe on interests, including theirs," Ryabkov said.
Ryabkov also said that the date of his next meeting with Shannon depends on progress with the seized diplomatic property. "There is an understanding that contacts at this level and in this format will be continued. We will agree on the date as the situation becomes clearer around our diplomatic property and as the US side's reaction to our ideas comes in."
Ryabkov added that the agenda of his meeting with US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Thomas Shannon was not solely centered around the issue of Russia’s diplomatic property in the United States, there were signals that Moscow and Washington could work more constructively on certain issues.
"The agenda of the meeting was much broader. There is evident intent of Moscow and Washington to broaden their common stances on some issues and to work more constructively than before. We conveyed certain specific ideas on these questions to the US side and will wait for its reaction."
Russia said it also wanted to resume regular dialogue with the United States about strategic stability too, it said, saying it was up to Washington to make a move on the issue.