According to Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, Nuland’s visit to Moscow was requested by the US side.
“Indeed, she was on a sanction list. It means that such a person cannot cross the border. They put Russian representatives on their sanction lists, hence, in this case the matter was settled on the parity basis,” she said in an interview with the Voskresny Vecher (Sunday Evening) with Vladimir Solovyov program on the Rossiya-1 television channel.
“Yes, naturally. Have you ever had any doubts about public diplomacy?,” she stated when asked whether it meant that the United States had removed Russian representatives from their sanction lists.
“I think our Western partners should analyze this approach and understand that we can respond in a negative manner to negative things. We can also respond in a positive manner to positive things and have always been opting for the latter,” Zakharova added.
The US Department of State announced earlier that Nuland will set off for Moscow on October 11 to meet with high-ranking Russian officials to discuss a range of bilateral issues, as well as regional and global problems.
