US Vice President Mike Pence said he hopes the decision to place sanctions on Russia will prompt “different behavior” from Moscow, as President Vladimir Putin announced the U.S. would have to cut 755 diplomatic staff from Russia, Newsweek reports.
After the White House on Friday confirmed the sanctions on Russia, Putin responded by announcing the cuts, but Pence appears optimistic about the future relationship between the two countries.
Speaking from his European tour on Sunday, Pence said he hoped the sanctions would prompt Moscow to reconsider its position on a number of issues, including North Korea.
"The President and I remain very hopeful that we'll see different behavior by the Russian government, with regard to Ukraine, with regard to supporting rogue regimes in Iran and North Korea," Pence said in comments reported by Fox News.
