Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Friday that he will wait for President-elect Donald Trump to take office before ejecting U.S. diplomats from Russia.
On Thursday, the White House ordered the expulsion of 35 Russian intelligence diplomats from the U.S. and impose sanctions against nine Russian individuals and other entities over evidence that Russia tampered with the U.S. presidential election process.
Putin, who appears to have a friendly relationship with Trump, said in a statement posted on the Kremlin’s website, that it would wait to take retaliatory action due to “the policies that the administration of D. Trump will pursue.”
“While we reserve the right to respond, we will not drop to this level of irresponsible diplomacy, and we will make further steps to help resurrect Russian-American relations based on the policies that the administration of D. Trump will pursue,” Putin said.
Trump has consistently dismissed U.S. intelligence community findings that Russian intelligence agencies stole emails from the Democratic National Committee and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton‘s campaign manager, John Podesta. In a brief statement following the Obama administration’s announced actions against Russia, however, Trump will meet with top U.S. intelligence officials next week.
“It is time for our country to move on to bigger and better things,” Trump said. “Nevertheless, in the interest of our country and its great people, I will meet with leaders of the intelligence community next week in order to be updated on the facts of this situation.”
Trump takes office on Jan. 20.
Read the full report at the Guardian.
