Moscow takes retaliatory measures and refuses to issue a visa to an American journalist detained in the Russian consulate

Moscow announced this Thursday that it had denied a consular visit to a US journalist who was detained for a month in Russia in retaliation for the US denial of visas to Russian journalists.

“The US Embassy has been advised of the rejection of its request for a consular visit on May 11 by Evan Gershkovich, a US citizen detained on charges of espionage,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

“Other possible retaliatory measures, which will be communicated to the US side, are currently under development,” the text warns.

On Thursday, the Foreign Ministry summoned a “high-ranking diplomat” from the United States to broadcast a “protest” from Moscow against Washington’s “provocative actions” in denying visas to Russian journalists accompanying Sergei Lavrov to the UN in New York. York, York.

Last Sunday, the head of Russian diplomacy, Sergei Lavrov, expressed regret over the US refusal to grant visas to Russian journalists assigned to accompany him on Monday and Tuesday during his visit to UN headquarters in New York, where Russia is holding a rotating chairmanship of the Council this month. Security.

“We do not forget and we do not forgive,” Lavrov said, condemning the “cowardly” decision of the Americans.

This new tension between Moscow and Washington came just weeks after the arrest of Evan Gershkovich, suspected by Russian authorities of “spying” – an accusation denied by the US and the journalist himself.

US Ambassador to Russia Lynn Tracy visited him for the first time on April 17 at his Moscow detention center.

Some observers believe that this could serve Moscow in the context of a possible prisoner exchange with Washington.