Russia's Foreign Ministry accused the UN secretary general of turning a blind eye to what Moscow says is U.S. delays in issuing visas for Russian officials seeking to travel to the UN headquarters in New York. Moscow says Washington has deliberately delayed issuing visas to Russian officials travelling to the UN headquarters, a move Russia has said could further damage strained relations.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement that some Defence Ministry officials who were due to travel to the UN secretariat had to wait "months" for visa clearance. "It is noticeable, that all that is happening with the sheer connivance from the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who effectively ignores United States' breaches into the UN Charter," she said. Russia summoned a senior U.S. diplomat in September to protest over what it said was Washington's unacceptable refusal to issue visas to members of a Russian delegation travelling to the UN General Assembly.