State Department rules out threats to crack doors in Russian diplomatic property

The State Department refutes accusations that the US officials threatened to break down doors of Russian diplomatic property or that the FBI was involved in "clearing" the building, APA reports quoting Sputnik.

US officials did not threaten to crack doors of Russian diplomatic property and the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was not involved in "clearing" the building, State Department official told RIA Novosti Sunday.

"Accusations made by the Russian government including that the US officials threatened to break down doors in the relevant hub or the FBI is clearing the premises are untrue," the official said.

The official specified that the inspections were held to "secure and protect the facilities" and stressed that the US side’s actions fully complied with the Vienna convention and bilateral agreements.

On Saturday the Russian Foreign Ministry published videos of searches in Russia's Consulate General in San Francisco and Trade Representation in Washington, noting that the consulate's materials were "under rummage by the FBI." On another video from San Francisco, a supposed FBI officer enters the Consulate General’s premises, examines them and leaves saying "Okay."

On Thursday, the US State Department said in a press release that Washington had demanded that Moscow close down its Consulate General in San Francisco and two other diplomatic entities in New York City and Washington, DC by Saturday. On Friday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that US Security services were planning to search the premises of the Russian Consulate General in San Francisco.

Washington’s move came after Moscow announced in July that the diplomatic presence of the United States in Russia would be scaled down by 755 people to 455, the same number of diplomatic personnel Russia has in the United States since late 2016, when 35 Russian diplomats were expelled from the United States.