U.S. expelling Russian diplomat in tit-for-tat move -spokesperson

The United States is expelling the No. 2 diplomat at the Russian embassy in Washington in response to Russia's expulsion this month of the U.S. deputy chief of mission in Moscow, a State Department spokesperson said on Thursday. Russia said that expulsion was in response to the State Department forcing a senior official to leave its mission in Washington.

The United States is expelling the No. 2 diplomat at the Russian embassy in Washington in response to Russia's expulsion this month of the U.S. deputy chief of mission in Moscow, a State Department spokesperson said on Thursday. "The U.S. believes that it is critical that our countries have the necessary diplomatic personnel in place to facilitate communication between our governments. However, we will not let actions like these go without a response," the spokesperson said.

A senior State Department official said the department informed the Russian embassy of the expulsion on Wednesday. The move was not part of Washington's response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but part of a dispute over the two countries' diplomatic presence in their respective capitals, the official said. The Russian embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The embassy website lists the No. 2 diplomat as Minister-Counselor Sergey Trepelkov.

Earlier this month Russia expelled Deputy Chief of Mission Bart Gorman from Moscow. Russia said that expulsion was in response to the State Department forcing a senior official to leave its mission in Washington. The department spokesperson said the Russian official had departed as part of a normal rotation.

The United States has imposed a three-year limit on the length of diplomatic postings, and Moscow said it would respond in kind. Washington says Gorman had not completed a three-year tour. A U.S. official has said the dispute has left the U.S. embassy in Moscow staffed well below Russia's mission in Washington and nearing the point of being only able to maintain a "caretaker presence."

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