Washington and Moscow are considering the possibility of a visit to Russia by US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland. This was reported on Friday, September 17, by Interfax, citing an informed source.
“Nuland’s visit to Moscow is being prepared this fall,” the source said.
He did not name the exact dates of the visit and the agenda.
On September 9, Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said that Russia would not adjust to the United States, despite pressure from Washington. He added that the policy of the United States has exhausted itself for a long time.
The spokesman for the head of state specified that with the coming to power of US President Joe Biden, relations between the countries did not improve, Peskov concluded.
Earlier, on September 7, the president of the American University in Moscow, Eduard Lozansky, told Izvestia that there is no progress in normalizing relations between Russia and the United States; in order to improve this situation, first of all, it is necessary to return diplomatic property and establish the work of diplomatic services.
As Lozansky noted, it is necessary to start with diplomatic aspects, since most of the work in foreign policy and international relations is carried out precisely at the expense of diplomats.
On September 6, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov described the United States’ behavior in resolving the visa issue as an attempt at indecent pressure, with the help of which Washington intends to bargain for unilateral advantages. While stipulating Moscow’s position, the minister indicated that the Russian side would refuse requests to resume the work of consulates general in the United States.
Diplomatic aggravation between Russia and Western countries began on April 15. Then the American leader introduced another anti-Russian sanctions. In addition, the United States expelled 10 Russian diplomats.
Moscow responded to this in a mirror image. On April 16, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that the Russian Federation was launching a procedure to end the practice of hiring Russians and citizens of third countries by American diplomatic missions in the country. At the same time, the Foreign Ministry indicated that diplomatic missions can continue to work without problems and fill the shortage of American citizens.
In April, the US Senate unanimously approved Victoria Nuland’s candidacy for the post of United States Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs.
Nuland has worked in the State Department for over 30 years and, in particular, was the chief official of the State Department for Russia and the countries of the former USSR, permanent representative to NATO and special envoy for the Treaty on Conventional Arms in Europe. She worked in China, Russia and Mongolia.