Russia’s Expulsion of Diplomats is Regrettable, Uncalled for: US

File photo of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

(Photo: AP)

The US State Department called Russia's decision to cut hundreds from its diplomatic staff in Russia "a regrettable and uncalled for act".

On Friday, Russian's Foreign Ministry ordered a reduction by 1 September in the number of US diplomatic personnel in Russia. The order came as a response to new sanctions approved by the US Congress and sent to US President Donald Trump to be signed into law.

President Vladimir Putin said Russia will expel 755 United States diplomatic staff and could consider imposing additional measures against the country as a response to new US sanctions, although not for now.

In an interview with Vesti TV released on Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the US sanctions were a step to worsening relations between the two countries.

We were waiting for quite a long time that maybe something would change for the better, were holding out hope that the situation would change somehow. But it appears that even if it changes someday it will not change soon.

Russian President Vladimir Putin

Moscow ordered the US on Friday to cut hundreds of diplomatic staff and said it would seize two US diplomatic properties after the US House of Representatives and the Senate approved new sanctions on Russia.

Because more than 1,000 workers – diplomats and support staff – were working and are still working in Russia, 755 must stop their activity in the Russian Federation.

Russian President Vladimir Putin

New US sanctions were in part a response to conclusions by US intelligence agencies that Russia meddled in the 2016 US presidential election, and to further punish Russia for its annexation of Crimea in 2014.

Moscow on Friday said that the United States had until 1 September to reduce its diplomatic staff in Russia to 455 people, matching the number of Russian diplomats left in the United States after Washington expelled 35 Russians in December.

On Friday an official at the US Embassy, who did not wish to be identified, said the Embassy employed around 1,100 diplomatic and support staff in Russia, including Russian and US citizens.

Putin said that Russia could take more measures against the United States but not at the moment.

“I am against it as of today,” Putin said in the interview with Vesti TV.

However, he said Moscow and Washington were achieving results on cooperation even “in this quite difficult situation”. The creation of the Southern de-escalation zone in Syria showed a concrete result of the joint work between the two countries, Putin added.

(with inputs from AP and Reuters)

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