Russia said it’s expelling 60 US diplomats and closing the American consulate in St Petersburg, and will retaliate in kind to other countries that ousted its envoys after the poisoning of a former Russian double agent in England. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the measures against the US "include the expulsion of the same number of diplomats" as the Russian envoys ordered out by President Donald Trump. The measures came in a crisis over a nerve-agent attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia that the UK government is blaming on Russia. While the Kremlin’s action underscores the tense relations between Washington and Moscow, the use of a customary tit-for-tat response suggested that President Vladimir Putin is not looking to escalate the situation. But the US quickly dismissed the notion that Russia was entitled to take mirror-image action. "There is no justification for this response" because Russia was "responsible for that horrific attack on the British citizen ...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.