755 US diplomats must leave Russia, says Vladimir Putin

On Thursday, the US Senate overwhelmingly approved a bill to toughen sanctions on Russia for allegedly meddling in the 2016 US presidential election and for its annexation of Crimea in 2014.

The Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday said 755 US diplomats must leave his country. This follows from the earlier announcement that Russia is to cut off US access to certain storage facilities the US Embassy uses in Moscow.

"The American side has made a move which, it is important to note, hasn't been provoked by anything, to worsen Russian-US relations, Putin told in an interview with the Rossiya 1 TV channel.

"More than a thousand people were working and are still working" at the US embassy and consulates. They must stop their activities in Russia, Putin said.

"Putin added that an upturn in Russia's relations with Washington could not be expected any time soon. We have waited long enough, hoping that the situation would perhaps change for the better," he said, reports PTI.

On Thursday, the US Senate overwhelmingly approved a bill to toughen sanctions on Russia for allegedly meddling in the 2016 US presidential election and for its annexation of Crimea in 2014.

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