Trump thanks Putin for expelling US diplomatic staff
US President Donald Trump has thanked President Vladimir Putin for
expelling more than 750 American diplomatic staff from Russia.
The comments were immediately criticised by current and former US officials.
"I'm very thankful that he let go of a large number of people because now we have a smaller payroll," said Trump on Thursday, breaking nearly two weeks of silence on Putin's July 30 order cutting US embassy and consulate staff by nearly two-thirds.
"There's no real reason for them to go back… We're going to save a lot of money."
The State Department had no immediate reaction to the comments Trump
made to reporters while on vacation at his golf club in Bedminster, New
Jersey.
Congressional committees and a special counsel are investigating the
conclusions of US intelligence agencies that Russia interfered in the
2016 election campaign by hacking and other methods to help Trump.
They are also looking into possible collusion between the campaign
and Russian officials. Moscow has repeatedly denied meddling in the
election and Trump denies any campaign collusion.
Putin, reacting to new sanctions imposed by the US Congress and
reluctantly signed into law by Trump, ordered Washington to cut 755 of
its 1,200 embassy and consulate staff by September. Many of those
affected likely will be local Russian staffers.
During his campaign and since becoming president, Trump has
consistently called for better ties with Russia, declined to criticise
Putin, and refused to unequivocally embrace the conclusions of the
intelligence agencies.
'Grotesque'
Trump's remarks on Thursday were immediately denounced by current and
former US officials who have served both Republican and Democratic
administrations.
Nicholas Burns, the State Department's third-ranking official under
former president George W Bush, called Trump's comments "grotesque".
"If he was joking, he should know better," said Burns, now a
professor at Harvard University's John F Kennedy School of Government.
"If he wasn't, it's unprecedented. A president has never defended the expulsion of our diplomats."
The State Department was "horrified and rattled" by Trump’s remarks,
said a veteran US diplomat who has served in Russia, speaking on
condition of anonymity.
And Heather Conley, formerly a top State Department official dealing
with European affairs, said the expulsions of hundreds of people from an
important US embassy is extraordinary.
"It is very difficult to see how the president could view these
expulsions as a 'positive' development in any form," Conley said.
Source: Reuters
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