US gives 72 hrs. to Russian envoys...for hacking the election

Reuters wrote:U.S. expels 35 Russian diplomats, gives 72 hours to leave country – Reuters

The United States expelled 35 Russian diplomats and closed two Russian compounds in New York and Maryland in response to a campaign of harassment against American diplomats in Moscow, a senior U.S. official said on Thursday, according to Reuters.

The Russian diplomats would have 72 hours to leave the United States, the official said. Access to the two compounds, which are used by Russian officials for intelligence gathering, will be denied to all Russian officials as of noon on Friday, the senior U.S. official added, as reported by Reuters. R

"These actions were taken to respond to Russian harassment of American diplomats and actions by the diplomats that we have assessed to be not consistent with diplomatic practice," the official said.

As UNIAN reported earlier, the U.S. House of Representatives agreed to restrict movement of Russian diplomatic officers and envoys within the territory of the United States.

The lower chamber of the U.S. Congress on Wednesday, November 30, approved a draft bill providing a ban on travel for over 25 miles away from mission buildings for Russian diplomats without U.S. authority's notification in the previous calendar quarter.

Ben Reilly wrote:Many prominent Republicans are strongly in favor of this move... Trump will have a hard time undoing it.

Yahoo News wrote:Russia moves to expel 35 US diplomats: foreign minister


Moscow (AFP) - Russia's foreign ministry has requested President Vladimir Putin turf out 35 American diplomats from the country in a tit-for-tat response to a similar move by Washington over hacking allegations, Moscow's top diplomat said Friday.

"Russia's foreign ministry... has requested that the Russian president approve declaring as personae non gratae 31 employees of the US embassy in Moscow and four diplomats from the US consulate in Saint Petersburg," Lavrov said in televised comments.

The ministry is also seeking to ban diplomats from using a holiday home located in western Moscow and a warehouse in the north of the city, Lavrov said, after President Barack Obama said the US would close two Russian compounds.

Lavrov said the two Russian country houses in New York and Maryland were used for children's holidays and ridiculed the notion they were "nests of spies."

"We of course cannot leave these stunts unanswered.

Reciprocity is the law in diplomacy and international relations," he said, hoping that Putin approves the requests "promptly."

nicko wrote:Putin says he will not expel any American diplomats in a "tit for tat"
response.  Makes OBAMA look a bit vindictive. Putin said he does not want to make life difficult or spoil the education of the children.

Sounds good, or is it part of the game?  

nicko wrote:Putin says he will not expel any American diplomats in a "tit for tat"
response.  Makes OBAMA look a bit vindictive. Putin said he does not want to make life difficult or spoil the education of the children.

Sounds good, or is it part of the game?  

Original Quill wrote: 

Well, good.  It's meant to be vindictive.