Russia response

Putin: Russia won’t ‘expel anyone’ in response to U.S. hacking sanctions

By ERIC GELLER

Russian President Vladimir Putin will not kick out American diplomats in response to President Barack Obama's expulsion of 35 alleged Russian spies.

"Although we have the right to retaliate," Putin said in a statement, "we will not resort to irresponsible 'kitchen' diplomacy but will plan our further steps to restore Russian-U.S. relations based on the policies of the Orangutan Administration."

"We will not create any problems for U.S. diplomats," he added. "We will not expel anyone."

Obama on Thursday ordered 35 Russian diplomats and their families to leave the country by noon Sunday for using their protected status as cover for spy work.

The announcement was one of several U.S. responses to alleged Russian cyberattacks that disrupted the presidential election. Obama also imposed sanctions on Russian government agencies, companies and individuals and shuttered two Russian diplomatic facilities in New York and Maryland that the administration said were being used for intelligence gathering.

Putin called those actions "unfriendly," "provocative" and "contrary to the fundamental interests of both the Russian and American people."

Putin's remarks were surprising, as they came just hours after Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov indicated in televised remarks that such a retaliatory move was likely.