Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov invoked a dancing metaphor on Friday to describe Russia’s view on its bilateral relations with the U.S.
Addressing first-year students at the MGIMO university, where many of Russia's diplomats and intelligence officers are trained, Lavrov said Moscow wanted to mend ties with Washington.
“We sincerely want the political atmosphere to normalize,” he said in a speech broadcast live on YouTube. "But, as you know, it takes two to tango and so far we’ve been seeing our U.S. partners perform an individual break dance time and time again.”
Lavrov made his comments a day after the U.S. State Department issued a Sept. 2 deadline for the Russian Consulate in San Francisco to close its doors. Activities at consular annexes in Washington D.C. and New York would also have to be scaled down, the announcement said.
On Friday, the consulate in San Francisco said it would stop operations a day early.
A Foreign Ministry statement published on Thursday said Russia would first “review” the U.S. move before announcing its own response.
Speaking to MGIMO students, Lavrov said Russia would “of course be tough in its response” to what he called "harmful actions dictated only by the desire to spoil our relations with the United States."
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
