(Worthy News) – The Trump administration ordered Russia to close a consulate in San Francisco and scale back operations in New York and Washington in retaliation for Moscow’s expelling U.S. diplomats and closing sites in Russia a month ago, the State Department announced Thursday.
The diplomatic clash dates back to the previous administration, when President Obama ordered a series of expulsions and closings to protest what U.S. officials said were the Kremlin’s attempts to meddle in the 2016 U.S. presidential elections. Russian President Vladimir Putin initially declined to respond in kind, but acted after bilateral ties did not improve after President Trump, who spoke as a candidate of seeking better ties with Moscow, reluctantly signed new economic sanctions that passed overwhelmingly in Congress.
The State Department said the move was made “in the spirit of parity,” but Trump administration officials also said Thursday they hoped the cycle of retaliation could stop and the two countries could start repairing the relationship. [ Source (Read More…) ]