Moscow rules out linking issue of Russian diplomatic property in U.S. to provision of land for U.S. general consulate in St. Pete – Ryabkov

MOSCOW. July 18 (Interfax) – Moscow is against linking the Russian diplomatic property seized in the United States to the provision of a land site in St. Petersburg for the construction by Washington of a new general consulate, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said.

“As to the Russian diplomatic property, we rule out any connection between this issue with the talks about the provision of a land site for the construction of a new U.S. general consulate in St. Petersburg,” Ryabkov said in an interview with Kommersant.

“The Americans seized our diplomatic property without any motives, reasons and grounds, and they should return it to us in the same way, without any preconditions. Any connections are just unacceptable here, regardless of whether we are talking about a land site for construction, a different property or anything else,” he said.

[featured image is file photo from different occasion]