Russians leave meeting without their seized US compounds
Russia and the Trump administration are still at odds after a high-level meeting over two Russian diplomatic compounds that the U.S. seized last year, a Kremlin official said today, while the United States was mum on the issue.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov met Monday evening in Washington with Tom Shannon, the U.S. undersecretary of state for political affairs — the highest-level meeting since the two countries' presidents, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, met at the G-20 summit in Germany this month — as the Trump administration faces intense pressure from Russia on one side and the U.S. Congress on the other over the fate of the two compounds, or dachas, in New York and Maryland.
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It would be an exaggeration to say that we are on the verge of finding a solution and resolving this situation," Ryabkov told Russian news agency Tass today, adding that the meeting "went off predictably" and that the two sides came up with "a number of ideas on how to achieve a visible and tangible improvement in relations."
Asked after the meeting whether the two countries are close to a deal on the compounds, Ryabkov said with a smile, "Almost, almost."
But in a statement released today, the State Department made no mention of the compounds — only a joint commitment to restart arms control talks. "The conversation was tough, forthright and deliberate, reflecting both parties' commitment to a resolution," it read. "It is clear that more work needs to be done."
The Obama administration cut off Russia's access to the dachas in December and expelled 35 Russian diplomats in response to Russia's interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
Russia has been losing patience with the Trump administration over the issue, threatening to retaliate if the compounds are not returned soon. Ryabkov reiterated that threat today.
"Retaliation measures will follow" unless those two compounds are returned unconditionally, he told Tass.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov took a slightly softer tone Monday, telling reporters that Russia hopes the White House can find the "political wisdom and political will" to return the dachas.
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