The Trump administration has informed lawmakers of its plan to shutter its two remaining consulates in Russia.
In a notification dated December 10, the US State Department told Congress it intends to close the consulate in Vladivostok and suspend operations at the consulate in Yekaterinburg.
Their closures would leave the US with only one diplomatic outpost in Russia — the US Embassy in Moscow — at a time of heightened tensions between the two nations and the notice comes asPresident-elect Joe Biden prepares to take the helm of the US government.
Just this week — after the notice was sent to Congress — news emerged of a widespread, ongoing cyberattack against numerous agencies of the federal government as well as a number of Fortune 500 companies. The attack is suspected to have ties to Russia.
