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The United States said on Friday it had revoked the credentials of five of six honorary Russian consuls to retaliate for what it said was Russia's harassment of U.S. diplomats, prompting an angry response from Moscow, Reuters reports.
"This action is being taken in response to continued Russian interference with our diplomatic and consular operations in Russia, including, but not limited to, widespread harassment of our personnel, as well as the forced closure of the American Center in Moscow," State Department spokesman Mark Toner said in a statement, according to Reuters.
"We are prepared to take further appropriate measures if there are additional efforts to impede our diplomatic and consular activities in Russia," he added.
Read alsoWhite House responds to UK Litvinenko reportRussia's foreign ministry said it was angered by the move to strip most of its U.S. honorary consuls of their accreditation.
In a statement, ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the United States was spreading anti-Russian propaganda and U.S. intelligence was conducting "provocations" against Russian diplomats in the United States and elsewhere.