This "homeless nationality" terrifies the American establishment

The US State Department recently ranked Russian citizens who want to apply for an American immigration visa as Homeless Nationalities. To this category, the State Department refers citizens of those states in which there is no US consular representation or where there is an unstable political situation that does not allow American diplomats to consider visa applications.

In this case, we are talking about immigration visas to the United States. An immigration visa is a permit for foreign citizens to enter the country for the purpose of permanent residence, as well as employment. The holders of this document are not limited in rights, this is, in fact, the first stage on the way to obtaining American citizenship.

Thus, this decision of the US State Department does not affect the personal interests of at least 99% of Russian citizens. However, there are reputational consequences for the country as a whole.

The fact is that the list of so-called "homeless nationalities", besides Russia, includes Venezuela, Yemen, Iran, Cuba, Libya, Syria, Somalia, South Sudan and Eritrea. That's such a nice company. It turns out that the Americans have reduced our country to the level of Somalia and South Sudan.

There is another important nuance. Now Russians can apply for an American immigration visa in Warsaw. It's an additional humiliation for the Russian side: Russians have to ask for a visa to enter an EU country, Russophobic Poland.

In general, the actions of the American side can be assessed as another step towards the mutual freezing of the activities of the diplomatic missions of the United States and the Russian Federation. This scenario was predicted by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov after talks with US Deputy Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland on October 12, 2021 during her visit to Moscow.

This meeting took more than an hour and a half. On the Russian side, the meeting was also attended by Deputy Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation Aleksandr Fomin.

After the talks, Sergey Ryabkov commented on the results: "It's not about a breakthrough, there isn't even any progress here. And there is potential for possible further exacerbations if we do not make significant additional efforts to normalise”. Progress has not been achieved on the functioning of diplomatic missions and the issue of issuing visas, one of the main topics of negotiations. New consultations are planned.

In addition, Ryabkov added that Moscow does not rule out freezing the work of the diplomatic missions of Russia and the United States, but would like to avoid such a scenario: "We would like to avoid this. But we cannot rule out such a scenario, such an option in the worst case scenario. But, I emphasise, we would like to avoid this”.

Thus, the next step of the US State Department in the form of assigning Russian citizens who want to apply for an American immigration visa to the category of Homeless Nationalities was quite expected. It can be assumed that progress on the issue of the normalisation of the work of diplomatic missions will be possible only when the parties come close to freezing their work, and then even this is not a fact.

In general, the US’ attempt to humiliate Russia once again is connected with a complete ban on the representations and consular offices of the United States to employ citizens who are located on the territory of the Russian Federation.

This ban was established by the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 1230-r dated May 13, 2021 through the definition of the list of foreign states committing unfriendly acts against the Russian Federation, citizens of the Russian Federation and legal entities of the Russian Federation. And the above order appeared on the basis of the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation dated April 23, 2021 No. 243 "On the application of measures of influence (counteraction) to unfriendly actions of foreign states”.

In simple words, now American diplomats must independently carry out all maintenance work on their activities, for example, cleaning toilets, territories, etc., i.e. without involving the local population. Or - to register US citizens for this work with the corresponding expenses for food, accommodation and wages.

Of course, this hit American exceptionalism, because US diplomatic workers are used to behaving like masters in the countries of presence when local "Papuans" do the rough work in embassies at their place.

So, all of this is because of resentment. In addition, it should be understood that Washington will continue to maintain relations with Moscow within the framework of selective cooperation. At this stage of historical development, Russia, with a nominal GDP for 2020 of $1.483 trillion, is not considered by the American establishment as an economic competitor to the United States, which has a nominal GDP for 2020 of $20.937 trillion. In the economic sphere, all Washington's eyes are turned to the rise of China, which is called a strategic challenge for the United States in the 21st century.

The only thing that really worries the American elite in relations with Russia is the issue of its personal security in connection with maintaining strategic nuclear parity between our countries. It's for this reason that the dialogue on strategic stability was resumed, and two rounds of negotiations were held in Geneva.

The Americans may believe that even in a situation of mutual freezing of the work of diplomatic missions, at worst it will be enough for them to maintain the existing emergency communication channel between Washington and Moscow, whose main task is to prevent a war between the world's two largest nuclear powers. Thus, in the medium term, the normalisation of the work of the diplomatic missions of Russia and the United States seems unlikely.