Russia's Foreign Ministry denies reports on expulsion of US ambassador
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Russia denies reports that it has expelled the US Ambassador to Russia, saying it has not yet worked out a response.
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US Ambassador to Russia, John Sullivan
Russian Foreign Minister Spokesperson Maria Zakharova commented on reports regarding an expulsion of the US' Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan, denying such reports, and saying that Russia has not yet worked out a response.
News outlets had earlier reported that Moscow expelled the US ambassador in response to the expulsion of Russian diplomats.
"We are still developing response measures," Zakharova told reporters. The US Embassy in Moscow also dismissed the media reports, calling them rumors.
After the expulsion of Russian Consul Ambassador to the US, Sergei Trepelkov - who is the second most important diplomat in the country - Russia will have a response, according to the Russian ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov.
On February 24, the US took the decision to expel Trepelkov in response to Russia's expulsion of the US Deputy Chief of Mission, Bart Gorman.
Kremlin's spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, spoke about the expulsion of Gorman from Russia that is the retaliatory measure of Moscow, saying that "This is a response to provocation." Moscow ordered Gorman to leave Russia in response to Washington's decision to expel the Russian embassy's minister-counselor.
"We regard the new expulsion as another unfriendly step aimed at reducing the Russian diplomatic presence in the United States. Our retaliatory measures are predictable", Antonov said in a statement published by the Russian Embassy.
