Russia warns some US diplomats will have to leave by Jan 31

By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV
Associated Press

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia has warned that a number of U.S. diplomats will have to leave Russia before the end of next month, the latest salvo in a diplomatic tug-of-war between Moscow and Washington. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Wednesday that those U.S. Embassy personnel who would have spent more than three years in Russia would have to leave Russia by Jan. 31. She added that the Russian demand mirrors U.S. actions that would make 55 Russian diplomats to leave. U.S. State Department has argued that the move wasn’t an expulsion and the diplomats have to leave because they have their visas expiring. Moscow has rejected that argument and warned it would respond in kind.