US consulate workers in St. Petersburg prepare to switch away

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) — U.S. consulate workers in St. Petersburg, Russia’s second-largest metropolis, had been making ready on Friday to wind up operations after the Russian executive ordered the consulate’s closure.

Russia on Thursday supplied the expulsion of larger than one hundred fifty diplomats, including 60 American citizens, essentially essentially based on mass expulsions of Russian diplomats by Western countries over the poisoning of a passe Russian be taught about and his daughter in Britain.

Speaking to journalists in Moscow on Friday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov insisted that « Russia did now not delivery any diplomatic wars » and needed to answer. Peskov talked about Russia became once originate to bettering ties with all countries including the U.S.

Russia also ordered the closure of the U.S. consulate in St. Petersburg essentially essentially based on the U.S. announcement to shut the Russian consulate in Seattle.

An Associated Press reporter on Friday seen consulate workers carrying containers from the constructing and loading them true into a van. Several mini-vehicles drove out of the consulate whereas security also detained a one who threw a Starbucks cup at the constructing.

A pair of of the passers-by advance the U.S. consulate in St. Petersburg cheered the expulsions.

« Allow them to gain out of right here, » talked about Sixty one-year-passe pensioner Viktor Fedin. « You gained’t save aside Russia on its knees. »

Others had been more cautious, scared that the closures would have an effect on visa processing for Russians.

« The Russian executive has to answer to the hostile actions in opposition to Russia, » talked about 32-year-passe researcher Yelena Bogomazova.

« But the escalation is spoiled. The closure of the consulate will originate it complicated for of us to gain U.S. visas, they’ll must creep to Moscow. »

After Russia expelled several dozens of U.S. diplomats, the ready checklist for U.S. visa purposes in Russia has elevated to weeks if now now not months. The U.S. embassy talked about it became once unable to direction of visa purposes faster as a result of workers shortage.