Washington considers the expulsion of its diplomats from Moscow groundless and will respond to Russia’s actions, said Matthew Miller, head of the US State Department press service.
“This unprovoked expulsion of our diplomatic staff is completely unfounded,” he said (quoted by T). According to him, Russia “chose confrontation and escalation instead of constructive diplomatic interaction.”
Miller added that the United States will respond to the expulsion of American diplomats and noted that the State Department regrets that Russia “chose this path.”
On the afternoon of September 14, the Russian Foreign Ministry declared the First Secretary of the US Emby in Moscow, Jeffrey Sillin, and the Second Secretary of the Emby, David Bernstein, as persons non grata. According to the department, they “conducted illegal activities while maintaining contact” with former US Emby employee Robert Shonov.
Shonov was arrested on May 15 on suspicion of collaborating with a foreign state or organization on a confidential basis. According to investigators, Shonov carried out ignments from Sillin and Bernstein: he collected information about the special operation and mobilization in Russia, as well as problematic issues in the regions and their impact on protest activity on the eve of the presidential elections in 2024.