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Russian President Vladimir Putin commented on the recent closure and searches of Russian diplomatic facilities in the United States.
Putin blamed the American establishment for a lack of political culture regarding the situation with the Russian diplomatic facilities in the US, saying that Moscow has the right to decide whether to cut the US mission by 155 employees for full parity, but will not do so yet.
"It is difficult to have a dialogue with people who confuse Austria with Australia. You can do nothing about it. That seems to be the level of political culture of a certain part of the American establishment," Putin said at a press conference following the results of his participation at the BRICS summit.
Putin also said that "the American nation, the American people, America is really a great country, a great nation… of such people with such a low level of political culture."
He added that Moscow was planning to file a lawsuit due to the deprivation of the right to administer its estate.
The Russian President admitted Washington's right to cut the number of diplomatic facilities but stated that it was done in a boorish manner.
On Thursday, the US State Department ordered Moscow to close down its Consulate General in San Francisco and two other diplomatic entities in New York City and Washington, DC by Saturday. After Russian diplomats left the US Trade Representative building in Washington, US security agents entered the premises and conducted a search, which, from Moscow's perspective, was a breach of international law. The US State Department argues that the officers carried out a lawful inspection of the facilities.
In December 2016, then-US President Barack Obama decided to expel 35 Russian diplomats and block access to two Russian diplomatic compounds as a response to Moscow's reported meddling in the US presidential elections.
In late July, Moscow announced its decision to reduce the US diplomatic staff in Russia to 455 people, the same number of diplomatic personnel Russia has in the United States. Shortly thereafter, the US Embassy in Russia suspended the processing of non-immigration visas due to staff cuts.
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