MOSCOW  Russia is considering the option of lowering the level of diplomatic relations with the United States if Washington takes practical measures to confiscate its assets, RIA Novosti reported on Thursday, citing Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov.

The US Senate on Tuesday voted to pass a foreign aid package that includes long-stalled aid for Israel and Ukraine. The bill, which US President Joe Biden signed into law on Wednesday, also includes measures to confiscate frozen Russian assets for funding Ukraine.

"We are now exploring the optimal form of reaction," Ryabkov said, adding that Moscow is considering both economic and diplomatic responses.

"Among the countermeasures, there may also be actions against the assets of our Western opponents," he said. 

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Separately, on Thursday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said it will expel two diplomatic employees from the Latvian diplomatic mission in Moscow as a retaliatory move.

The ministry summoned Latvian Charge d'Affaires Dace Rutka and expressed strong protest over announcing two Russian diplomats in the Latvian capital Riga as "persona non grata without any grounds", it said in a statement.

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The ministry said it has informed the Latvian side that if Riga continues hostile actions against Russian diplomats, Moscow will "inevitably take other steps that will be painful for Riga".