US warns of slowdown of consular activities in Russia

MOSCOW – 31 July 2017: The US Embassy in Russia does not rule out the possibility that the forced reduction of the staff of the US diplomatic missions could lead to a slowdown of consular activities in the country, Sputnik quoted a statement by the embassy as saying Monday.

"We are assessing the impact that such a restriction may have. It is still too early to even try to speculate about how this will affect the work of the consular service. But it is quite possible that this will lead to a decrease in the efficiency and promptness of consular activity," the statement added.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday that the diplomatic presence of the United States in Russia would be decreased by 755 employees.