Ryabkov: Issue of Seized Russian Diplomatic Property in US Not 'Almost' Resolved
23:46 19.07.2017
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov on Wednesday explained what his answer meant about the "almost" reached agreement with the United States on seized Russian diplomatic property, which the CNN reported as a result of the meeting with US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Thomas Shannon.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – After the July 17 talks, the CNN journalists met Ryabkov outside the State Department and asked how the meeting went. Later, Jim Sciutto of the CNN reported that Moscow and Washington had "almost" reached an agreement on the return of the Russian diplomatic property seized by the United States.
"The word 'almost,' which was said there, was a method of self-defense. Instinctively, it was necessary to find something that journalists are not ready for and that will require at least a few minutes for them to comprehend. This time is just enough to get to the car and leave. But in fact, the next day I said and I want to repeat that this 'almost' does not count. Therefore, we must continue to work and see what can be done and what can not," Ryabkov said during the '60 Minutes' program broadcast by Rossiya-1 television.
In December 2016, the administration of then-US President Barack Obama imposed a number of sanctions against Russia over its alleged meddling in the 2016 US presidential election. These measures included the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats and the closure of two Russian diplomatic compounds in the states of New York and Maryland.
On Tuesday, Ryabkov told Sputnik that Moscow could impose retaliatory measures soon if the United States failed to return the diplomatic property.
© Sputnik
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
