US takes over 3 Russian diplomatic posts as Moscow slams retaliatory bid

The US has seized control over three Russian diplomatic posts across the country amid strong protest by Moscow, which accused Washington of bullying tactics and slammed the move as a violation of international law.

The US move on Saturday to shut down Russia’s consulate in the West coast city of San Francisco along with trade offices in Washington and New York came in retaliation for Moscow’s decision last month to reduce American diplomatic staff in Russia to 455.

This is while Russia’s Foreign Ministry announced on Saturday that it had summoned the deputy chief of the US mission in Moscow, Anthony Godfrey, to deliver a formal protest note describing the purported trade office search as an “unprecedented aggressive action.”

A sign is seen at the entrance of the compound of the Trade Representation building of the Russian Federation on September 2, 2017 in Washington DC. (Photo by AFP)

Moreover, the spokesman for the Russian embassy in…

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