Lavrov proposes Putin to expel 35 US diplomats

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov proposed expelling 35 US diplomats in Moscow and St. Petersburg in retaliation for the American decision to eject the same number of Russian diplomatic staff.

Lavrov asked President Vladimir Putin to approve the tit-for-tat move. “Reciprocity is a law of diplomacy and international relations. We can’t, of course, leave such steps without a response,” Bloomberg cited Lavrov as saying.

The announcement came a day after President Barack Obama expelled 35 Russian diplomats from the US and imposed sanctions on top intelligence officials and agencies over cyberattacks allegedly backed by the Kremlin and aimed at interfering with the 2016 election campaign.