Russia views negotiations with a potential Trump administration on restoring diplomatic presence in the US as an opportunity to rebuild its espionage network in the West, CNN reports, citing current and former US officials.
Two US officials told CNN that Russia is prioritizing this issue to the extent that it is delaying a high-level meeting until significant progress in restoring its presence in the US is made. Since 2016, over 100 suspected Russian spies have been expelled from the US, with further mass expulsions across Europe following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Moscow has had no ambassador in Washington since October 2023, when Anatoly Antonov left his post.
For years, Russia has pushed to reclaim diplomatic properties in San Francisco, New York, and Washington, which were seized by the US in 2017 in response to election interference. The Trump administration also shut down the Russian consulate in Seattle in 2018 due to its proximity to the Kitsap naval submarine base.
A congressional official familiar with intelligence on expelled Russian “diplomats” called the prospect of their return “hugely concerning.”
“The last wave of expulsions were almost entirely operatives under thin cover. It is absolutely ludicrous that this is even in the cards at all given how endangering this would be to US national security, and how it would require more FBI counterintelligence resources to address—especially when the FBI is facing staffing reductions and dismissals,” they said.
While US intelligence and FBI officials have long argued for limiting Russia’s diplomatic presence, one American official noted that an expanded Russian mission could present new surveillance opportunities, making it easier to intercept communications.
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