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Russia vows response to diplomat expulsion from US Russia vows response to diplomat expulsion from US
(about 5 hours later)
Russia has promised to respond to the expulsion of 35 of its diplomats from Washington, amid a bitter dispute over alleged Russian interference in the recent US presidential election.Russia has promised to respond to the expulsion of 35 of its diplomats from Washington, amid a bitter dispute over alleged Russian interference in the recent US presidential election.
A spokesman for President Vladimir Putin said the Kremlin's reaction would cause the US "significant discomfort".A spokesman for President Vladimir Putin said the Kremlin's reaction would cause the US "significant discomfort".
However, he hinted that Russia may wait until Donald Trump, who has played down the hacking claims, becomes president. But he hinted Russia might wait until Donald Trump, who has played down the hacking claims, became president.
Russia has denied any involvement and called the US sanctions "ungrounded". The foreign ministry said Russia's response would be announced on Friday.
On Thursday, the US state department declared the 35 Russian diplomats from the Washington embassy and the consulate in San Francisco "persona non grata", and gave them and their families 72 hours to leave the US. Russia has denied any hacking involvement and called the US action "ungrounded".
Sanctions have also been announced against nine entities and individuals including two Russian intelligence agencies, the GRU and the FSB. Under the US action taken on Thursday:
And the US will close two compounds - in New York and Maryland - used by Russian intelligence services. President Barack Obama had vowed action against Russia amid US accusations that it directed cyber-attacks on the Democratic Party and Hillary Clinton's campaign.
President Barack Obama had vowed action against Russia amid US accusations that it directed cyber-attacks against the Democratic Party and Hillary Clinton's campaign. Emails stolen from her campaign manager and from the servers of the Democratic National Committee - some containing embarrassing information for Democrats - were released during the election campaign through the Wikileaks website.
Reacting to the announcement, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "Undoubtedly, commensurate reaction based on the principle of reciprocity will cause significant discomfort to the American side in the same areas." Reacting to Thursday's announcement from the US, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "Undoubtedly, commensurate reaction based on the principle of reciprocity will cause significant discomfort to the American side in the same areas."
But he added that Russia would not act "in haste" and alluded to the upcoming change at the helm of the US.But he added that Russia would not act "in haste" and alluded to the upcoming change at the helm of the US.
"These decisions were taken by President Obama, but Trump will become the head of state in three weeks' time," Mr Peskov said. "Of course, this factor will certainly be taken into account one way or another.""These decisions were taken by President Obama, but Trump will become the head of state in three weeks' time," Mr Peskov said. "Of course, this factor will certainly be taken into account one way or another."
'A decade-long campaign'
Separately, the Russian embassy to the UK tweeted a visual gag calling the Obama presidency a lame duck.Separately, the Russian embassy to the UK tweeted a visual gag calling the Obama presidency a lame duck.
President-elect Trump has dismissed the hacking claims as "ridiculous" and said Americans should "get on with our lives" when asked about the possibility of sanctions before the announcement. Russian media say the Russians facing expulsion from the embassy in Washington are struggling to buy plane tickets because flights are full ahead of the New Year holiday.
Emails stolen from Hillary Clinton's campaign manager and from the servers of the Democratic National Committee - some containing embarrassing information for Democrats - were released during the election campaign through the Wikileaks website. They will be forced to travel to New York, where their chances of finding plane seats are better, an "informed source" told Interfax news agency.
US intelligence agencies, including the FBI and CIA, have concluded that the aim of the hack was to cause damage to Mrs Clinton and the Democrats and favour Mr Trump. 'Getting nasty'
Russia is fuming at the latest US sanctions, the BBC's Steven Rosenberg reports from Moscow.
Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said America had been "humiliated by its own president" and promised counter-measures on Friday.
In a scathing post on Facebook (in Russian) under the English headline "Obama's Coming Out", Ms Zakharova dismissed the Obama administration as a "group of vindictive, unimaginative, foreign policy failures" with the exception of Secretary of State John Kerry.
Pavel Felgenhauer, a Russian military affairs analyst, told BBC World Service things were going to get "very nasty" from here on in.
"Such a massive expulsion means that Moscow is going to expel American diplomats, the same number," he said.
"It's going to be tit for tat and this is going to be very nasty."
But US Democrat Senator Amy Klobuchar, who is currently on a visit to the Baltic states, told the BBC it would have been a mistake for the US not to respond to the hacking.
"This is something that is not just about American democracy, it's about all democracies," she said.
"There's upcoming elections in Germany and France and for the US just to roll over and to let this happen with no response would have been a huge mistake."
President-elect Trump has dismissed the hacking claims as "ridiculous" and said Americans should "get on with our lives" when asked previously about the possibility of sanctions.
US intelligence agencies, including the FBI and CIA, concluded that the aim of the hack was to cause damage to Mrs Clinton and the Democrats and favour Mr Trump.