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Kremlin: Response to diplomats’ expulsion from US will be based on reciprocity principle

The Kremlin spokesman has commented on a Bloomberg report that President Donald Trump decided to expel dozens of Russian diplomats from the US over Skripal case

© Alexander Shcherbak/TASS

MOSCOW, March 26. /TASS/. Moscow has received no formal notification from Washington regarding the possible expulsion of its diplomats, but, if the US makes such a decision, Russia’s response will be based on the reciprocity principle, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said commenting on a Bloomberg report that President Donald Trump decided to expel dozens of Russian diplomats from the US over the case of former Russian military intelligence Colonel Sergei Skripal.

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"We are not accustomed to rely on media reports, while we have not seen or heard any official statements from Washington on the planned expulsion of our diplomats," the Kremlin spokesman noted. "We will rely on hard facts and officials’ statements rather than media reports," he added. "Of course, the reciprocity principle will work in every such case."

On March 24, Bloomberg reported citing its sources that Trump plans to expel some Russian diplomats from the US over the Skripal case and that this decision is likely to be announced on Monday. The news agency alleged that the US president had agreed with the recommendations earlier provided by the White House National Security Council (NSC) to expel Russian diplomats and is ready to act, but before doing so, he wants to be sure that Washington’s European allies would take similar steps against Russia."

Skripal case

On March 4, former Russian military intelligence Colonel Sergei Skripal convicted in Russia of spying for the UK and his daughter Yulia were exposed to a nerve agent in the city of Salisbury, according to Britain's version. Later on, London claimed that this substance had been developed in Russia accusing Moscow of involvement in the incident. Russia has flatly rejected these allegations pointing out that there was no program to develop this substance either in the Soviet Union or in Russia. The official Washington expressed solidarity with London saying that the United States continues to consider additional sanctions against Moscow over the Skripal case.

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