The official representative the Ministry of foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Maria Zakharova said today that the U.S. Embassy refused to issue visas to members of the Russian national team in freestyle wrestling.
Athletes planned to perform at the world Cup in wrestling, which will be held in early April in the city of Iowa city, but now their participation in the tournament was in jeopardy. Zakharova argues that the government of the Russian Federation has filed an application in February. A written response came in late March, it was reported impossible to conduct interview due to shortage of staff.
«I would like to reiterate that the decision on which employees to cut in part of the introduction of parity in the number of employees of diplomatic missions of the two countries, was adopted last summer, Washington»,— commented on this answer Zakharova.
Recall that in the summer of 2017, Russia announced a sharp reduction of the US diplomatic mission. In total, these actions fall 755 people. Among them were foreign diplomats, and the Russians, working in various diplomatic institutions in the USA. According to experts, it was retaliation for tougher sanctions against Russia.
The US government then warned the Russian leadership that such actions in the first place, impact on Russianswishing to obtain a U.S. visa. Diplomatic representation the US was forced to reduce the number of visas issued due to staff shortages. This is what the us Embassy argues the current refusal to conduct interviews with athletes from Russia. Because this event is a prerequisite for the issuance of visas, apparently, the national team of Russia on free-style wrestling will not get to the world Cup.
Maria Zakharova does not see the relationship with this situation and said that the United States themselves determine which of the employees fall under the reduction. The representative of the Russian foreign Ministry says the political pressure of Washington on Russia by such actions. Zakharov also believes that the way the US addresses the strong competitors in the tournament.
Representatives of the U.S. Embassy in Russia yet did not give comments about it.
