The Russian government unleashed a series of threats to retaliate Friday after President Barack Obama approved a series of punishing new sanctions against Moscow in connection to election-related hacking, kicking 35 intelligence operatives out of the U.S.
Russia's foreign minister said his country could bar American diplomats from using their summer retreat on the outskirts of Moscow and a warehouse south of Moscow.
Sergey Lavrov also revealed that his Foreign Ministry and other agencies suggested that President Vladimir Putin order the expulsion of 31 employees of the U.S. Embassy in Moscow and four from the U.S. Consulate in St. Petersburg. However, Putin said later Friday that wouldn't happen.
The threats came after Obama on Thursday imposed sanctions on Russian officials and intelligence services over alleged Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election, as American political sites and email accounts were hacked. The government ordered 35 Russian diplomats to leave the U.S. in 72 hours, and closed two facilities the Russians were using.
Russia has continued to deny accusations by the U.S. that it hacked and stole emails in order to help Trump win. Trump commented on the matter via Twitter, saying the U.S. should move on. He also said he planned on meeting with U.S. intelligence leaders next week to learn more.
Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow Thursday that the measures signaled Obama’s “unpredictable” and “aggressive foreign policy.”
The spokesman added that Putin would order “appropriate” retaliation for the sanctions.
"We think that such steps by a U.S. administration that has three weeks left to work are aimed at two things: to further harm Russian-American ties, which are at a low point as it is, as well as, obviously, to deal a blow to the foreign policy plans of the incoming administration of the president-elect," Peskov said.
Credits: Foxnews
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