FOREIGN POLICY/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The US announced Thursday [8-31-17] it will shutter the Russian consulate in San Francisco, as well as annexes in Washington and New York, in response to mandated staff cuts at the US mission in Russia.
The move comes one day before Moscow’s deadline for US personnel to leave their positions and will take effect Saturday.
‘The United States has fully implemented the decision by the Government of the Russian Federation to reduce the size of our mission in Russia,’ State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement announcing the decision. ‘We believe this action was unwarranted and detrimental to the overall relationship between our countries.’
‘In the spirit of parity invoked by the Russians,’ she continued, ‘we are requiring the Russian government to close its Consulate General in San Francisco, a chancery annex in Washington, DC, and a consular annex in New York City.’
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov ‘regrets’ the US decision, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Thursday.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson phoned Lavrov to inform him of the order, according to a statement from the ministry.
Russia will study the order and respond to Washington, according to the statement.”
-Laura Koran, “US retaliates against Russia ordering closure of consulate and annexes,” CNN Politics, CNN.com, Aug. 31, 2017 12:57pm