MOSCOW, December 31. /TASS/. Russia's refusal to reciprocally respond to US expulsion of Russian diplomats may be described as an act by a power that understands its strength and rightness, Frants Klintsevich, first deputy chairman of the Russian Federation Council's Committee on Defense and Security, said.
"It is clear that Russia in this case was also led by pragmatic considerations, leaving a wide room for maneuver for the US President-elect. However, there is more to that. We acted flawlessly from the moral point of view, as a power that understands its strength and rightness," Klintsevich said.
"By expelling Russian diplomats from US under a made-up pretext, the Barack Obama Administration undoubtedly counted on a reciprocal response. However, it is often the best way to respond to such actions by not reacting in any way, thus illuminating their inadequacy," he noted.
On December 29, US State Department expelled 35 Russian diplomats and closed two Russian-owned facilities in the states of New York and Maryland over the hacker attacks at US political institutions that Washington says are linked to Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin decided not to expel US diplomats from Russia in response to the US move.