QOTD: An angry diplomat

One serving diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he was “at a fucking loss” over comments that can be expected to chill American diplomacy in hostile or authoritarian countries – a comment echoed by former State Department officials as well.

“It’s beyond disgraceful. It’s fundamentally ignorant with regard to how we conduct diplomacy or what that means. It really puts in jeopardy the professional independence of diplomats anywhere in the world, if the consequence of their actions is going to be potentially being turned over to a foreign government,”

The White House is facing intense pressure to categorically reject a Russian government request to interrogate Americans, including former U.S. ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul, who on Thursday called the White House's failure to do so "lamentable."

McFaul, the U.S. ambassador in Moscow under former President Barack Obama, is among the 11 Americans who the Kremlin has said it would like to question in relation to financial crimes it says were committed by associates of Bill Browder, an American-born financier who has lobbied heavily against the Russian government.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, at a news conference with President Donald Trump on Monday, suggested that his government would allow the investigators from the office of special counsel Robert Mueller to interrogate the 12 Russian military intelligence officials it indicted last week if the U.S. would reciprocate by allowing the Russian government to interrogate certain Americans with ties to Browder.

Trump called the idea an "incredible offer" during the news conference. And on Wednesday, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that the president would “meet with his team” on the Russian proposal.