The President Donald Trump's administration ordered the expulsion of a total of 60 Russian intelligence and diplomatic officers and a shutdown of the Russian Consulate in Seattle on Monday.
The Seattle consulate serves more than a dozen states. KIRO 7 News will have team coverage at 5 p.m. Watch on-air or online here. Here's what to know now.
Why is this happening?
The United States and more than a dozen European nations kicked out Russian diplomats as joint punishment for Moscow's alleged poisoning of an ex-spy in Britain.
Britain has accused Russia of involvement in the March 4 poisoning of former Russian spy Serge Skripal and his daughter, who have remained in critical condition -- accusations that Moscow has fiercely denied.
Where is the Seattle consulate?
It's in downtown Seattle at 600 University St.
Whom does it serve?
Consulates provide passport, birth registration and many others services for visiting or resident American citizens in a country.
The consular district of the consulate general of the Russian federation in Seattle includes the states and territories of Idaho, Iowa, Alaska, Wyoming, Washington, Hawaii, North Dakota, South Dakota, California, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, Oregon and Utah, as well as Guam, American Samoa and Northern Mariana Islands.
Why did the U.S. government want to close the Seattle one down?
There are four Russian consular districts in the United States.
The Seattle facility is a particular counter-intelligence concern to the U.S. because of its proximity to a U.S. Navy base, said senior U.S. officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to be identified by name.
When will it close?
Russia's consulate general in Seattle must close by April 2.
But a sign on the glass door of the Russian Consulate's office in downtown Seattle said in Russian that the office was already closed and would not be accepting new passport applications.
The move followed the closure last year of the Russian Consulate in San Francisco.
How is this affecting people in Seattle?
Three people who showed up seeking new passports on Monday walked away in frustration.
One young man, who declined to give his name, said: "The West Coast now has no consulates whatsoever, which means the closest one is in Houston. It's a huge inconvenience."
What do Seattle leaders have to say?
Seattle Mayor Jenny A. Durkan released the following statement regarding the closure of the consulate in Seattle:
“The real question is why it takes so long to stand with our allies and take action against a government who continues to threaten and undermine our democracy. When Seattle was previously targeted by Russian hackers, we acted and brought Roman Seleznev to justice. Attacks from Russian intelligence, including interference in the 2016 election, need to be met with aggressive enforcement against those who participate or cooperate.”
What do national leaders say?
Deputy press secretary Raj Shah said in a news conference late Monday morning that the U.S. is creating a safer country by reducing Russia's ability to spy or conduct covert operations that threaten national security.
"With these steps, the U.S. and our allies and partners around the world make clear to Russia that actions have consequences," Shah said. "We stand ready to cooperate to build a better relationship with Russia, but this can only happen with a change in Russian government behavior."
What do Russian leaders say?
Russia's ambassador to the U.S. says Washington's decision to expel 60 Russian diplomats over the poisoning of an ex-Russian spy in Britain is destroying what is left of Russia-U.S. ties.
Anatoly Antonov denounced the U.S. move as ill-considered and provocative and said in remarks carried by Russian news agencies that Moscow will make an "adequate" response.
He said Monday that the U.S. is "ruining what is left of Russian-U.S. ties," adding that Washington will bear responsibility for the consequences.
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Cox Media Group
