Russian President Vladimir Putin has rejected a proposal to kick out 35
U.S. diplomats from the country, despite a recommendation to that effect
by his foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov. “While we reserve the right to
respond, we will not drop to this level of irresponsible diplomacy, and
we will make further steps to help resurrect Russian-American relations
based on the policies that the administration of D. Trump will pursue,”
Putin said in a statement. Lavrov had proposed to kick out the officials
in response to the U.S. decision to expel the same number of
Russians—announced just one day earlier. Putin’s statement also wished
Obama, Trump, and all Americans a happy new year, and he invited “all
the children of American diplomats accredited in Russia to the new year
and Christmas tree in the Kremlin.” The Obama administration decision
was largely based on the belief by U.S. intelligence agencies that
Russia ordered cyberattacks on American political and government
organizations in order to influence the 2016 presidential election.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova reacted angrily to the
U.S.-imposed measures, calling the Obama administration “foreign policy
losers.” |
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