Kremlin: U.S. will not be removed from the list of 'unfriendly states'
The Russian authorities do not plan to remove the status of an "unfriendly country" from the United States, which earlier paralyzed the work of the American Embassy and made it stop issuing American visas.
There are no preconditions for removing the United States from the list of unfriendly counties now, said Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov at a briefing.
Although the summit in Geneva was praised by the Kremlin as constructive, we still have to wait for the practical results, Interfax quotes Peskov as saying.
“At such meetings, we reach an understanding when it makes sense to speak, an understanding of when it does not, an understanding of where we disagree strongly with each other, an understanding of where we can fully act in unison," Peskov said.
"But any understanding hangs in the air without implementation, without the creation of appropriate working mechanisms and without a substantive contract," Peskov said.
The U.S. Embassy has suspended the issuance of non-immigrant visas, except diplomatic visas, since May 12, after the Kremlin introduced a ban on hiring Russians.
Consular functions at the embassy have been reduced to emergency services for U.S. citizens and the issuance of an "extremely limited number" of immigration visas, and only in "life and death" cases.
The Embassy also recommended that U.S. citizens leave Russia by June 15 if their Russian visa expires.
Inclusion in the list of unfriendly countries forced the U.S. Embassy to reduce the staff by 4 times.
In early June, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced the preparation of a decree to denounce the memorandum on open land, which would de facto restrict American diplomats' movement outside the embassy.