Washington Criticizes Russia's Demand for the Departure of 755 American Diplomats

The U.S. State Department has described Russian President Vladimir Putin's request for the departure of 755 American diplomats from the country as regrettable and unjustifiable, stating that Washington is considering its possible response. In a statement, the U.S. State Department said, 'We are assessing the impact of this restriction and our response to it.' This statement was issued hours after Putin warned of a 'stalemate' in Moscow-Washington relations and announced that 755 American diplomats must leave his country. Previously, the Russian Foreign Ministry had demanded that the United States reduce its staff in the country to 455 by the end of summer, the same number of diplomats that Russia has in the U.S. On Sunday, Putin stated in a televised interview, 'We have waited long enough for a possible improvement in the situation, and if this situation is to change, it will not be in the near future.' The U.S. Senate passed a bill on Thursday with a decisive majority to intensify sanctions against Russia, a response to allegations from the U.S. intelligence community regarding Russia's 'interference' in last year's presidential election, as well as the annexation of Crimea and issues related to human rights. This bill, officially titled 'Countering Iran's Destabilizing Activities,' also includes sanctions against Iran and North Korea. On August 8, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence stated in an interview in Estonia that Trump 'has clearly indicated that he will sign these sanctions very soon.' The Russian government has denied interfering in the U.S. elections. Donald Trump has also recently stated that during a meeting with Putin, he asked him about this matter twice, but Putin denied it. The U.S. President has also stated that he does not intend to make changes to sanctions against Russia until the issues in Ukraine and Syria are resolved.