US removes Russian flag from consulate in Seattle
On Tuesday night, the Russian Embassy in the United States announced that US authorities had removed the Russian flag from a residence owned by the Russian Consul General in Seattle. Russian diplomats had recently left the residence in accordance with Washington's recent policy decision.
"Today, under the cloak of night, the US authorities removed the state flag of the Russian Federation from the residence of Russia’s Consul General," the Russian embassy in the United States said.
The Russian diplomatic mission called such actions illegal, regarding Washington’s actions toward the Russian state symbol as unacceptable and “another example of gross breach of international law by Washington.”
"Let the US authorities remember that the residence of Consul General is the property of the Russian Federation, which is inviolable. In this respect, we demand an immediate return of our national flag to its legally compliant place - on the flag-post over the building of the residency, As well as the return of all illegally seized Russian diplomatic property in the cities of Washington, San Francisco, [and] Seattle, [as well as] the states of New York City and Maryland," the Embassy said.
Washington demanded the closing of the Russian Consulate General in Seattle on April 2 and required the resident’s inhabitants to vacate by April 24. Russian diplomats left the residence by the specified date, closing the building and leaving the Russian flag on the pole. The day after the building was vacated, the Russian Embassy reported that the building was broken into by official US government representatives, the Diplomatic Mission specified.
Washington's closure of the Russian Consulate General in Seattle was a response to Moscow regarding the poisoning of former GRU officer Sergei Skripal in the British town of Salisbury. The United Kingdom, the United States and several other Western countries have blamed Russia for Skripal’s poisoning. Moscow, denying any involvement, has responded to London, Washington and their allies with tit-for-tat measures.