Putin Orders Expulsion of 755 US Diplomatic Staff from Russia

In what is thought to be the largest expulsion of diplomats from any country in modern history, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered hundreds of American staff to leave US diplomatic missions in Russia. Although the decision was made on Friday in retaliation for new US sanctions against Moscow, Putin has now confirmed that the 755 diplomats must go by September 1. Russian media reported that staff at the embassy in Moscow as well as those at the consulates in Ekaterinburg, Vladivostok and St Petersburg are affected by Putin’s order. Putin told Russian television, “We have waited long enough, hoping that the situation would perhaps change for the better. “But it seems that even if the situation is changing, it’s not for anytime soon.”