Russia announces preparation to sue the US

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has informed his US counterpart about his decision to sue Washington over the confiscation of Moscow's diplomatic premises.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (left) and US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson during a meeting in Washington in May. Photo: Reuters

According toReutersOn October 12, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had a phone call with his counterpart Rex Tillerson and announced that Russia is preparing to sue the United States to reclaim Moscow's diplomatic facilities that were illegally confiscated by Washington.

This is not the first time Russia has spoken out about the possibility of suing the US. Earlier this week, the Russian Foreign Ministry also demanded that the US return Moscow's diplomatic compound illegally seized by Washington, while warning that Russia had the right to take legal action and retaliatory measures.

The US in August ordered Russia to close its consulate in San Francisco and two other buildings in Washington and New York. Previously, under former President Barack Obama, the US also seized Russian diplomatic properties in the country after accusing Moscow of interfering in the 2016 US election.

Also in a phone call with Secretary of State Tillerson, Foreign Minister Lavrov said that the US authorities' action of lowering the Russian flag from Moscow's diplomatic facilities in the US was "unacceptable".

“The constant lawlessness of the US authorities contradicts the statements made at the highest levels in Washington about the intention to normalize bilateral relations, which are at an all-time low with Russia,” the Russian Foreign Minister stressed.

Asked about the lowering of the Russian flag at the diplomatic facilities, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the US move at the closed Russian diplomatic facilities was entirely appropriate and legally justified. The US side affirmed that these actions were appropriate and taken with careful consideration.

“The flags of the former Russian consulates in San Francisco have been respectfully lowered. These flags are now placed inside the buildings,” a representative of the US State Department said.

The US lowering of the Russian flag at the Russian consulate in San Francisco is the latest development in diplomatic tensions between the two countries, which have repeatedly taken retaliatory measures such as expelling diplomats or closing each other's diplomatic facilities.

According to Dan Tri