Due to a lack of staff, US Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan did not consider the possibility of abandoning the lease of the residence, the famous Spaso House. Leasing a lease is absolutely a last resort, he said.
Residence of the US Ambassador Spaso House (Vtorov’s mansion in Spasopeskovsky Lane)
(Photo: Ruslan Krivobok / RIA Novosti)
Due to mutual reductions, about 120-130 diplomats are currently working at the US Embassy in Russia, US Ambassador John Sullivan said in an interview with RBC. Due to a lack of personnel, the embassy stopped providing visa services to Russians, and the number of events was reduced. However, the possibility of abandoning the lease of the ambassador’s residence, for which care is required, is not being considered, the ambassador assured.
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“It is only as an absolute last resort that I would agree to consider abandoning the lease of this building, which has such a history,” Ambassador Sullivan said. According to him, the mansion located in the Old Arbat area is a historical place for both Russians and Americans. “We rented it in 1933, our first ambassador, Ambassador Bullitt, moved here in early 1934, 88 years ago,” the ambassador recalled. The mansion has witnessed the development of the history of Russian-American, Soviet-American relations: Presidents Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon, Presidents George W. Bush and George W. Bush, Bill Clinton – they all visited the residence during their visits.
The fact that the diplomatic mission was considering the option of refusing to lease the mansion was reported by the Kommersant newspaper. The Washington Post reported on December 3 that the embassy was so understaffed that many staff were forced to take on additional work.
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