ILLEGAL SEIZURE: MFA Appalled at US Violation of Diplomatic Norms in Confiscation of Seattle Embassy
Public illegal takeover. That's how the Russian Foreign Ministry called the invasion of the Russian Consulate General in Seattle. Diplomats had left the building at the US request, but it is still the Russian state property.
Valentin Bogdanov has the details.
The staff of the Russian consulate in Seattle had to obey the absurd decision of the US authorities. But our diplomats were leaving the Consul General's residence with pride, Russian flags and the 'Farewell of Slavianka' march. As the hosts do, they cut off the electricity and gas, locked the doors when leaving.
The uninvited guests who showed up at the fence the next day didn't look embarrassed. The State Department officials busily stretched blue polyethylene over the gate, covering a man with a drill. After they got inside, wandered around the yard like hosts, they went to the front door to bluntly repeat the procedure of breaking a lock. Maria Zakharova, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, has commented on it.
Maria Zakharova, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson: "Don't miss: the US authorities have begun the takeover of the Russian Consulate General facilities in Seattle. Rarely can you witness a public illegal takeover".
Not only the International Conventions on Diplomatic and Consular Relations, which the US actually signed, have been violated. Even US laws have been broken because it is still the Russian property which our country didn't authorize to visit. Though, judging from Heather Nauert's tweet, the US State Department didn't bother about it.
Heather Nauert: "Today the State Department officials walked through the property in Seattle to confirm it had been vacated. We will secure and maintain it in keeping with our responsibilities. No "invasion", just a firm, lawful response to Russia's continuing, outrageous behavior".
In general, the scenario is the same. It started under Obama with the seizure of the suburban facilities of the Russian embassy in Washington and the UN Permanent Mission in New York to be continued under Trump by the takeover of the consulate facilities in San Francisco, the Consul's residence and the building of the Russian trade mission in the US capital.
Valery Timashov, Russian Consul General in Seattle: "It's the Russian Consul General's residence which is about 25 years old".
It's the interior of the breached residence. We had an interview with its owner Valery Timashov against the background of piles of boxes with the stuff that the diplomats were to take with them. But they decided to leave the national symbols.
Valery Timashov, Russian Consul General in Seattle: "Our events took place here, our US colleagues came here, our compatriots gathered here, the celebrations of May 9 and June 12 also were held here. Last year, the Immortal Regiment took place in Seattle for the first time".
This year, for obvious reasons, they'll have to hold these holidays and events elsewhere. The US authorities used an absurd pretext to close the consulate in Seattle. Our diplomats, when not issuing visas and passports, were allegedly spying on the submarine base and the Boeing plant. However, none of those who had worked in the last Russian consulate on the US west coast wasn't expelled from the USA.
Valentin Bogdanov and Ivan Utkin for Vesti from the USA.