A plane carrying 35 expelled Russian diplomats and their families took off from Washington, DC on Monday. The officials were removed in response to Russia's alleged interference in the US presidential election.
A Russian aircraft arrives outside Washington, DC, on December 31, 2016, to pick up Russian diplomats expelled by President Barack Obama in response to suspected cyber-attacks during the US election. /CFP Photo
A Russian aircraft arrives outside Washington, DC, on December 31, 2016, to pick up Russian diplomats expelled by President Barack Obama in response to suspected cyber-attacks during the US election. /CFP Photo
The Russian embassy in the US said the plane that flew in from Moscow picked up 96 people in total. Their expulsion from the US is just one of the sanctions on Russia ordered by President Barack Obama, in the final weeks of his administration.
In addition, two Russian compounds in Maryland and New York, which Obama administration officials described as spy nests, were closed.
A security guard tries to open the gate on December 31, 2016 at a Russian compound in Upper Brookville, New York, one day after the compound was closed. /CFP Photo
A security guard tries to open the gate on December 31, 2016 at a Russian compound in Upper Brookville, New York, one day after the compound was closed. /CFP Photo
The US State Department on Thursday announced the expulsion of the 35 Russian diplomats from the US, accusing them of “acting in a manner inconsistent with their diplomatic status."
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday ruled out expelling anyone in retaliation for Washington's sanctions. The RIA news agency quoted Putin as saying he would consider the actions of President-elect Donald Trump, who will take office later this month, when deciding on further steps in Russia-US relations.
A Russian aircraft arrives outside Washington, DC, on December 31, 2016, to pick up Russian diplomats expelled by President Barack Obama in response to suspected cyber-attacks during the US election. /CFP Photo
A Russian aircraft arrives outside Washington, DC, on December 31, 2016, to pick up Russian diplomats expelled by President Barack Obama in response to suspected cyber-attacks during the US election. /CFP Photo
Trump has played down tensions between the US and Russia. He spoke highly of Putin’s response to the sanctions from the US and called for closer relations with Russia, in a Twitter post on Friday.
According to the Guardian, Trump on Saturday also expressed skepticism over claims that Russia was responsible for the hacks in the US presidential election.
“I just want them to be sure, because it’s a pretty serious charge,” he said. “And if you look at the weapons of mass destruction, that was a disaster, and they were wrong,” he said to reporters during a New Year’s Eve celebration at his Mar-a-Lago estate.
US President-elect Donald Trump, accompanied by wife Melania, answers questions from reporters at a New Year's Eve party on December 31, 2016 at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida. /CFP Photo
US President-elect Donald Trump, accompanied by wife Melania, answers questions from reporters at a New Year's Eve party on December 31, 2016 at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida. /CFP Photo
Since 2014, the United States, the EU and some of their allies have imposed several rounds of sanctions against Russia for the country's role in the Ukraine crisis.
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