The Russian Foreign Ministry reported that it handed a note to the Deputy Chief of the U.S Diplomatic Mission, Bart Gorman, declaring persona non grata 10 employees of the U.S. diplomatic mission, whose expulsion was announced last week.

"On April 21, Bart Gorman, deputy head of the U.S. diplomatic mission in the Russian Federation, was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry, and was presented with a note declaring 10 employees of the U.S. Embassy in Moscow persona non grata. These persons have been ordered to leave the territory of our country by the end of the day on May 21. This measure is a mirror response to the hostile actions of the United States against a number of employees of the Russian Embassy in Washington and the Russian Consulate General in New York, unjustifiably declared persona non grata," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

The Kremlin also said that "in the near future, further steps will follow as part of the retaliatory measures announced on April 16 this year in response to the latest wave of illegal anti-Russian sanctions of the United States."

On April 16, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Russia would respond to the expulsion of ten Russian diplomats from the United States.

U.S. President Joe Biden on April 15 signed an executive order imposing sanctions on Russia. In particular, the United States prohibits its companies from directly acquiring bonds issued by the Russian Central Bank, the National Welfare Fund or the Russian Ministry of Finance after June 14, 2021. The U.S. also expels 10 diplomats working at the Russian Embassy in Washington, among whom, according to the U.S., there are "representatives of Russian intelligence services."

  Kremlin, USA, Russia

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