After blaming Russia for interfering in the US Presidential elections, US declared 35 Russian officials operating in US as persona non grata.
US State Department said, Russsians were acting in manner inconsistent with their diplomatic status. US State Dept also informed Russian Govt that it would deny Russian personnel access to 2 recreational compounds in US owned by Russian Govt.
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Russian Govt in response, impeded diplomatic operations by forcing closure of 28 American corners which hosted cultural program and English language teaching.
The Thursday’s announcement is an executive action, it can be undone by the next administration. But Obama’s last-minute measures put pressure on Trump, who has largely waved off the allegations against Russia, to make a decision about whether to keep the punitive measures in place.