When Vladimir Putin retaliated for new U.S. sanctions in July by demanding the American diplomatic mission in Russia reduce staff by 755 people by September 1st, President Trump shocked career diplomats by saying, "I‘m very thankful that he let go of a large number of people because now we have a smaller payroll.”
The New York Times now reveals the U.S. State Department, in an effort to replace necessary personnel, has hired a private Russian company connected to Vladimir Putin's former KGB boss to provide security services at the U.S. embassy in Moscow and three other diplomatic facilities.
NYT:
Under a $2.8 million no-bid contract awarded by the Office of Acquisitions in Washington, security guards at the American Embassy in Moscow and at consulates in St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg and Vladivostok will be provided by Elite Security Holdings, a company closely linked to the former top K.G.B. figure, Viktor G. Budanov, a retired general who rose through the ranks to become head of Soviet counterintelligence.
Even the Russians admit this is an unwise move, with one former KGB agent telling the Times he never would do this if the situation were reversed:
“This is very good for us,” said Mikhail Lyubimov, a former K.G.B. spy who knew Mr. Budanov from their time together in the Soviet intelligence service. “If I were the chief there, I would never do this for a very clear reason,” he said, adding that the Russian Embassy in Washington would not put security in the hands of an American company known to have ties to the C.I.A.
According to an official document posted online entitled "Justification and Approval for Other than Full and Open Competition," the State Department's need was urgent, and Elite Security Holdings was its only option:
The NYT says while Budanov, "an 82-year-old veteran spy who spent 25 years planting agents in Western security services and hunting down their operatives," no longer owns Elite, his son Dimitri runs the company's head office in Moscow.
Full story: U.S. Hires Company With K.G.B. Link to Guard Moscow Embassy (NYT)
Putin, Responding to Sanctions, Orders U.S. to Cut Diplomatic Staff by 755 (NYT)
Trump thanks Putin for slashing U.S. diplomatic staff (Reuters)
Trump says was being 'sarcastic' in thanking Putin for embassy staff cuts (Reuters)