December 21, 2020 The US Will Close Last 2 Consulates In Russia As Tensions Rise After Moscow s Pearl Harbor Cyber Attack
The United States has announced that it will close its last two consulates in Russia as relations remain tense after the Russian Federation s massive cyberattack on numerous American government agencies and businesses. Though the two consulates will close, the official embassy in Moscow will remain.
According to
Radio Free Europe, the two locations that will be shutting down include Vladivostok in the Far East and Yekaterinburg, which is the Eurasian country s fourth-largest city. Meanwhile, Russian consulates in the United States will remain open and unaffected, though several consulates in locations such as Houston and San Francisco were ordered to close in 2017 in retaliation for Moscow s interference in the 2016 presidential election.
U S Will Shut Last Two Consulates In Russia
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All About the U S Sanctions Aimed at Putin s Russia
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By Alan W. Dowd
Dec 17, 2020
“For the first time, we’re not chasing anyone,” Russian strongman Vladimir Putin declared in a section of his 2020 State of the Nation address focused on Russia’s military. “We’re not catching up with anyone. On the contrary, other states will have to create weapons that Russia already has.”
On this issue, it appears Putin is not bluffing.
Provocative foe
A recent analysis by the Economist magazine illustrates the dramatic advances and investments Russia has made in its military in recent years.
“Russian military expenditure approximately doubled between 2005 and 2018,” according to the report. Russia now spends about 4 percent of GDP on its military.
By Published Dec. 11, 2020. Updated Dec. 11 2020 at 8:13 pm This picture taken on Nov. 27, 2020 shows Christmas decorations in front of the Spasskaya Tower of the Kremlin in the Red Square downtown Moscow. Photo by
AFP
Sanctions will remain part of the U.S. toolkit for dealing with Russia under the incoming Biden administration, but to make them more effective, they should be embedded in the overall U.S. Russia policy, closely coordinated with allies, and clearly messaged, writes Steven Pifer. This post originally appeared in the Georgetown Journal of International Affairs.
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