Russia threatens to retaliate if US does not return diplomat compounds
Moscow — Russia stepped up pressure on the US to return seized diplomatic compounds in one of the first tests of whether Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin can convert the personal rapport of their initial meeting into improved relations. After talks in Washington between US Undersecretary of State Thomas Shannon and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, the foreign ministry in Moscow said on Tuesday that it "reserves the right to retaliate on the principle of reciprocity", in a statement that made no mention of a deal to end the dispute. There was "almost" an agreement, Ryabkov said after Monday’s meeting, according to CNN. There was no immediate US comment on the talks. The country houses outside New York and Washington must be returned unconditionally after they were taken over by the US "absolutely in breach of international law", Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call on Monday. "We continue to hope that our American colleagues will demonstra...
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