Trump expels Russians, closes consulate in response to poison attack in Great Britain
WASHINGTON — President Trump has expelled 60 Russian diplomats and suspected spies and closed the Russian consulate in Seattle over the poison attack in Great Britain, the administration said Monday.
“The United States takes this action in conjunction with our NATO allies and partners around the world in response to Russia’s use of a military-grade chemical weapon on the soil of the United Kingdom, the latest in its ongoing pattern of destabilizing activities around the world,” Sarah Sanders said in a statement.
More: Trump says Russia must provide answers on poisoning of ex-Russian spy
More: Expert on U.K. poison: We have never seen it used
The U.S. sanctions resemble those of other nations in response to the poisoning of ex-Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter on British soil; the United Kingdom and others have accused the Kremlin of orchestrating the attack, something Russian President Vladimir Putin has denied.
The expelled Russians and their families have a week to leave the United States.
The closing of the Russian consulate in Seattle is “due to its proximity to one of our submarine bases and Boeing,” Sanders said.
The decision comes as Trump and his team are under investigation by a special counsel and congressional committees for any links to Russian interference in 2016 presidential campaign.
Some lawmakers have accused Trump of being soft on Putin, a claim administration officials dispute.
The United States joined a joint statement with the U.K., France, and Germany blaming Russia for the Skripal attack. It also cited the poisoning when it applied new sanctions on Russia over cyber activities during the election.
Skripal and his daughter Yulia remain in critical condition in a hospital.
On Monday, the State Department said 48 of the Russian diplomats work in that nation’s U.S. mission and it has also begun the process of expelling 12 intelligence operatives from the Russian mission to the United Nations. They have “abused their privilege of residence in the United States,” the department said in a statement.
“We take these actions to demonstrate our unbreakable solidarity with the United Kingdom, and to impose serious consequences on Russia for its continued violations of international norms,†the statement said.
Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, cited Russia’s “destabilizing behavior across the world, such as its participation in the atrocities in Syria and its illegal actions in Ukraine.
She also said “Russia uses the United Nations as a safe haven for dangerous activities within our own borders,” and the U.S. is sending a message that “we will not stand for Russia’s misconduct.”
Russia could well react by expelling Americans; the government said it would respond to actions by other governments on the basis of “reciprocity.”
In announcing the expulsions, Sanders said the latest actions “make the United States safer by reducing Russia’s ability to spy on Americans and to conduct covert operations that threaten America’s national security. With these steps, the United States and our allies and partners make clear to Russia that its actions have consequences.”
The statement also offered something of an olive branch, adding that the U.S. “stands ready to cooperate to build a better relationship with Russia, but this can only happen with a change in the Russian government’s behavior.”
At least 15 European nations, from Denmark to Ukraine, have taken similar actions against Russia.
In calling for international action against Russia, British Prime Minister Theresa May said British citizens could have been exposed during the attack, and her government would not tolerate a “brazen attempt to murder innocent civilians on our soil.”