U.S. envoy visits Russian Foreign Ministry amid spy scandal

PanARMENIAN.Net - U.S. Ambassador Michael McFaul visited the Foreign Ministry in downtown Moscow on Wednesday, May 15 morning, having been summoned the day before amid reports that a U.S. diplomat suspected of being an undercover CIA officer had been detained by Russian security services, RIA Novosti said.

McFaul appeared calm as he got out of the car, and smiled at the reporters waiting outside as he walked to the entrance of the ministry’s vast building. He left about an hour later without talking to reporters.

According to information obtained by RIA Novosti, McFaul was received by Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov.

On Tuesday, the Federal Security Service (FSB) said that a U.S. diplomat, identified as Ryan Christopher Fogle, a third secretary in the embassy’s political department, had been detained on the night of May 13 as he attempted to recruit an officer from one of Russia's special services. Later on Tuesday the diplomat was declared persona non grata.

The U.S. Embassy in Moscow has not commented on the issue yet, while the State Department only briefly confirmed that an officer had been detained and released by Russian officials.