Russia plans to hire an as yet unspecified prominent U.S. law firm to represent its interests — and its diplomatic property — in court, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told Interfax on Wednesday.
“I believe that fundamental preparations of both parties are an unalienable element of any legal action and an imperative. This is what we will be doing in cooperation with an acclaimed U.S. law firm,” Ryabkov said. He also noted that the firm would be “authoritative and serious” and that the decision as to which firm, exactly, Russia will be using will be made “soon enough.”
The U.S. State Department announced Aug. 31 that Russia must close its general consulate in San Francisco, in addition to a consular annex in New York and a chancery annex in Washington, D.C. (Staff in San Francisco and Washington followed the announcement with bonfires.)
This was after Russia, in July, ordered the United States to get its diplomatic staff down from 755 to 455 and close two compounds — which was itself a response to the U.S. seizure of two Russian compounds and expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats.
