Emmanuel Ukudolo l Friday, July 28, 2017
MOSCOW, Russia – The face off between Russia and the United States took a turn for the worse on Friday when President Vladimir Putin said it is pegging the total number of U.S diplomats in Russia to 455.
Putin who was responding to the decision of congress to toughen sanctions on the Kremlin decided to close down several American facilities in Russia and peged number of U.S diplomats allowed in Russia to 455.
The sanctions on U.S were ordered by the Foreign Ministry and will take effect September 1. The affected facilities include U.S. recreation retreat outside Moscow as well as warehouse facilities.
The U.S Senate passed the bill by a vote of 98-2, two days after the House approved the measure by an overwhelming margin of 419-3 votes.
The legislation is aimed at punishing Moscow for its alleged role in meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and for the Kremlin’s military aggression in Ukraine and Syria, where the Putin’s intervention has helped prop up the beleaguered government of President Bashar Assad.
But Russia’s Foreign Ministry described the move by Congress as “creating unfair competitive advantages for the U.S. economy.”
“This kind of blackmail aimed at restricting the cooperation between Russia and other nations is a threat for many countries and global businesses,” the statement said.
The 184-page bill seeks to hit Putin and the oligarchs close to him by targeting Russian corruption, human rights abusers and crucial sectors of the Russian economy, including weapons sales and energy exports.
