Russia orders US to cut embassy staff in retaliation for sanctions

Source: BBC News:

July 28, 2017 at 11:30

Russia has retaliated to new US sanctions by telling Washington to cut its diplomatic staff to 455 and barring the use of some properties.

ent on Friday, Russia's foreign ministry said: "The US is stubbornly taking one crudely anti-Russian step after another, using the utterly fictitious pretext of Russian interference in its internal affairs."

The US expulsion of Russian diplomats "clearly violates the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations and generally accepted diplomatic norms", it added.

It was not immediately clear how many diplomats and staff members would have to stop working at the embassy, but Russian news agencies quoted sources as saying "hundreds" of people would be affected.

US embassy dacha, Serebryany Bor, 28 Jul 17 — EPA
Russia has banned US diplomats from this dacha at Serebryany Bor on Moscow's outskirts

Warehouse used by US embassy in Moscow, 28 Jul 17 — EPA
And Russia is seizing this US diplomatic warehouse in Moscow

Reuters news agency quoted an unnamed US embassy official as saying the embassy employed about 1,100 diplomatic and support staff in Russia, including US and Russian citizens.

Russia also said it would respond in kind if Washington decided to expel any more Russian diplomats.

Russia's move comes a day after President Vladimir Putin decried what he called "anti-Russian hysteria" in Washington.

The new US sanctions on Russia were overwhelmingly approved by both houses of Congress despite objections from the Trump White House.

US intelligence agencies believe Russia tried to sway the election in favour of Trump and now there are several investigations looking into whether anyone from his campaign helped.

Russia has always denied interfering and Mr Trump insists there was no collusion.