Russia, retaliating against Washington, says it will ask 10 U.S. diplomats to leave

Russia will ask 10 U.S. diplomats to leave the country in retaliation for Washington’s expulsion of the same number of Russian diplomats over alleged malign activity, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday.

The U.S. government on Thursday imposed a broad array of sanctions on Russia, including curbs to its sovereign debt market, to punish it for interfering in last year’s U.S. election, cyber hacking, bullying Ukraine and other alleged malign actions.

Russia denies all the U.S. allegations.

On Friday, Lavrov, speaking at a news conference with his Serbian counterpart, laid out Russia’s response.

Apart from expelling 10 U.S. diplomats, he said Moscow would place eight U.S. officials on a sanctions list and end the activity in Russia of U.S. funds and NGOs which it believes interfere in the country’s internal affairs.

He said Russia was also considering possible “painful” measures aimed at U.S. business in Russia.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had earlier on Friday called the U.S. sanctions unacceptable, even as it left the door open to dialogue.

U.S. President Joe Biden, after imposing the sanctions on Moscow, had called for a de-escalation in tensions and said it was vital the White House and Kremlin kept communication lines open.