FOREIGN RELATIONS
Russia defends Washington diplomat cuts as hope fades of better ties
Moscow — Moscow justified on Monday its decision to purge US diplomatic personnel in the country, as the Kremlin appeared to give up on hopes of improving ties under US President Donald Trump. President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday that the US will have to slash its diplomatic staff in Russia by 755 after Moscow struck back against new sanctions passed by the US Congress. The move represents one of the biggest single reductions of US personnel by Moscow, with Putin warning he could retaliate further even if he plans to hold off for now. “We have waited long enough, hoping that the situation would perhaps change for the better,” the Kremlin strongman said. “But it seems that even if the situation is changing, it’s not for anytime soon.” Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov insisted that any hope of mending Russia-US ties rested on “curing the worsening political schizophrenia” in Washington, but admitted the two sides appeared “far away” from any improvement. But he did insist Russia rem...
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