President Donald Trump has ordered an expulsion of 60 Russian diplomats and closure of a Russian consulate in Seattle, WA, in response to the poisoning of a former Russian spy in the UK.
This includes “12 people identified as Russian intelligence officers who have been stationed at the United Nations in New York.”
From The New York Times:
The expulsion order, announced by administration officials, also closes the Russian consulate in Seattle. The Russians and their families have seven days to leave the United States, according to officials.The expulsions are the toughest action taken against the Kremlin by President Trump, who has been criticized for not being firm enough with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia.In a call with reporters, senior White House officials said that the move was to root out Russians actively engaging in intelligence operations against the country, and to show that the United States would stand with NATO allies. The officials said that the closure of the consulate in Seattle was ordered because of its proximity to a U.S. naval base.
On Saturday, State Department official Heather Nauert said that the administration started to explore different options as a response to the attack “both to demonstrate our solidarity with our ally and to hold Russia accountable for its clear breach of international norms and agreements.”
The European Union leaders agreed with the UK that more than likely Russia poisoned former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter on March 4 with a nerve agent. Both are still unconscious and in critical condition.
This is the 15th case of an attack on an exiled Russian in Britain in the past 20 years.
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