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Lavrov: Russia Won’t Follow ‘Stupid’ U.S. Example After Visa Freeze

Sergei Lavrov United States Mission Geneva / Flickr

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said Russia will not respond with reciprocal measures after the U.S. Embassy announced on Monday it would implement a visa stop for Russian citizens.

“We’re not going to take out our anger on American citizens,” Lavrov was cited as saying by the state-run TASS news agency at a press conference.

“So if someone hoped that this stupid example would be contagious, they miscalculated.”

The U.S. Embassy in Russia on Monday morning announced it would temporarily stop processing non-immigrant visa applications starting Aug. 23. Operations in Moscow would resume in September but other U.S. consulates would “remain suspended indefinitely,” it added.

Lavrov said the measure appeared to be targeted at fomenting unrest in Russia.

“The first impression is that the American authors of this decision were trying to elicit displeasure among Russian citizens towards the actions of the Russian authorities,” he was cited as saying.

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