Washington has asked 24 Russian diplomats to leave the US by September 3 when their visas expire, claims Russia's ambassador to the US as two countries escalate tensions.

Anatoly Antonov, the Russian ambassador in Washington, spoke against what he dubbed as expulsions of Moscow's diplomats in an interview, adding that the US has grown persistent and inventive in this business by limiting Russians to three-year visas. Antonov did not specify if the US move was in response to a specific disagreement. He said that nearly all of them would be leaving without replacements due to Washington's sudden tightening of visa issuance processes.

Russian diplomats to leave the US

In response to the remarks, US State Department spokesman Ned Price said that the US was not using Russian diplomats' visas to retaliate against Moscow. He called the ambassador's description "inaccurate," Reuters via MSN reported.

Price did not deny that Russian diplomats would have to leave the United States, and he claimed it was "nothing new" that Russians would have to seek a visa extension after three years. He said the applications are looked at on a case-by-case basis.

Moscow and Washington have long had a rift over various topics, and relations have deteriorated further since US President Joe Biden stated he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin is a killer. After Biden visited Putin for discussions on June 16, tensions began to subside; and some foreign investors' money was returned to Russian government bonds.

However, Russia has prohibited the US embassy in Moscow from maintaining, employing, or contracting Russian or third-country employees, forcing the mission to lay off 182 workers and dozens of contractors, according to the State Department.

Two dozen Russian diplomats have been told to leave the United States by September 3, the latest in a series of tit-for-tat retaliations on both sides that has further damaged US-Russia ties. The expulsion of the diplomats comes after the United States removed almost 200 local workers from its diplomatic missions in Russia.

In an interview with the National Interest magazine, Ambassador Anatoly Antonov claimed the embassy got a list of 24 Russian diplomats scheduled to leave next month without successors. Citing Washington's sudden tightening of visa issuance processes, Antonov added, "Almost all of them will leave without replacements."

Per Newsweek, the situation with both nations' embassies hasn't improved since Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Joe Biden met in Geneva in June. Following being recalled for discussions, Antonov and his American counterpart, John Sullivan, returned to their roles after the summit.

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Russia says the US would use force on Putin's warplanes

Moreover, Russia has accused the United States of threatening to use force against Vladimir Putin's warplanes flying over the Black Sea. After a top American admiral claimed Moscow's buzzing of NATO ships by low-flying air force jets looked to be "baiting us into shooting first," Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko retaliated.

The increased US presence near Russian borders is the fundamental cause of rising tensions, according to Grushko. When NATO ships enter the Black Sea, Russian planes, ships, and submarines frequently follow them, The Sun reported.

When a strike aircraft flies over a ship at 100 feet height and right over the top, it might be said that they're baiting us into shooting first, said US Admiral Robert Burke, head of American naval operations in Europe and Africa.

Leonid Slutsky, a senior Russian parliamentarian, accused the admiral of attempting to disguise NATO nations' actual objectives to increase the situation in the Black Sea through Russophobic hysteria. In June, when a Russian warfare jet allegedly dropped bombs in the course of a British HMS Defender destroyer heading near Crimea, he linked the remarks from the admiral to the farcical flashpoint. As the crew member was "changing your course or I will fire." Moscow said six "warning shots" have been fired from the FSB Coastal patrol boat.

A day later, Russia threatened to sink British warships if they came too close to the Crimea again, only to backtrack hours later, claiming their approach was "so polite."

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