US Embassy in Russia to scale back visa services amid tensions

The U.S. Embassy in Moscow reportedly plans to stop issuing nonimmigrant visas for eight days beginning Wednesday amid heightened diplomatic tensions with Russia.

The move by the U.S. Embassy — which is also going to suspend issuing visas at its consulates in other Russian locations — comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the U.S. to cut 755 U.S. diplomatic mission staff in Russia, The Associated Press reported.

On Sept. 1, U.S. services will then be offered “on a greatly reduced scale,” Reuters reported.

{mosads}”Capacity for interviews in the future will be greatly reduced because we have had to greatly reduce our staffing levels to comply with the Russian government’s requirement,” the embassy told applicants in a note on its website.

Visa operations at the U.S. consulates, located in St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg and Vladivostok, will “remain suspended indefinitely,” according to Reuters.

“We will operate at reduced capacity for as long as our staffing levels are reduced,” the U.S. Embassy said.

Putin ordered the cuts in diplomatic staff after legislation overwhelmingly passed by Congress that increased sanctions against Russia and limited President Trump’s ability to lift penalties.

Trump signed the legislation earlier this month.