Moscow aims to further restrict the scope of Western diplomatic missions in Russia, employing an old Soviet model: Local staff could soon only be recruited through a Russian authority subordinate to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. According to sources at the Foreign Office speaking to Table.Media, the announcement by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is known. Foreign missions in Russia may lose the right to act as employers in the country. Western diplomats would then no longer be able to freely select which Russian citizens work for them.