The Russian government has expelled the second-highest-ranking U.S. diplomat from the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, according to the State Department. Bart Gorman, the U.S. deputy chief of mission to Russia, was expelled on Feb. 17, a State Department spokesperson told news outlets. “Russia’s action against [Gorman] was unprovoked, and we consider this an escalatory step and are considering our response,” the spokesperson said. The spokesperson told news outlets that Gorman had a valid visa and has been in Russia for less than three years. “We call on Russia to end its baseless expulsions of U.S. diplomats and staff and to work productively to rebuild our missions,” the spokesperson said. “Now more than ever, it is critical that our countries have the necessary diplomatic personnel in place to facilitate communication between our governments. ” Jason Rebholz, a spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, also confirmed the news in comments to Russian …