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American officials are explicit in showing that the diplomats “are not welcome,” Dmitry Polyansky has told RT
The Russian UN mission in New York faces significant pressure and poor treatment from its American hosts, Moscow’s deputy UN envoy, Dmitry Polyansky has told RT. The US authorities regularly impose various restrictions, including visa bans, to convey that Russian diplomats are “not welcome,” he said.
Russian diplomats have been facing “a lot of limitations,” Polyansky said on Monday. “The host country is trying to be very nasty towards us and towards our requirements.” Washington lets Russian diplomats into the country but denies them visas, he explained, adding that the UN mission staff end up facing serious restrictions to their freedom of movement.
“You can stay without a visa, but you can’t leave and then come back if you don’t have a US visa. So many of my colleagues can’t do it. Our relatives are not allowed to visit us. They are denied visas. We have a limit of 25 miles in terms of travel, which is very strict,” the deputy envoy explained.
According to Polyansky, the measures are aimed at making Russian diplomats feel unwelcome in the US and show that they “are enemies of the host country.” Despite the pressure, however, the mission remains committed to its work, Polyansky said. He noted that over the years the staff had become accustomed to such treatment. The diplomat also said the Russian embassy in the US faces even harsher treatment and more intense pressure.
Moscow has repeatedly drawn attention to the mistreatment of its diplomats working at the nation’s mission to the UN in New York. In 2023, another Russian deputy UN envoy, Maria Zabolotskaya, told the UN Committee on Relations with the Host Country about what she called a years-long campaign by the US government to undermine the work of the mission.
Members of the mission were constantly approached by agents of the US special services and bombarded with FBI recruitment ads, according to Zabolotskaya. There were also delays in visa applications being processed and movement restrictions, she said at the time, urging Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to intervene.
