White House: Expelling Russian diplomats 'will make US safer'

The White House says the expulsion of Russian diplomats and closure of the Russian consulate in Seattle will “make the United States safer.”

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders says in a statement that US President Donald Trump is responding to “Russia’s use of a military-grade chemical weapon on the soil of the United Kingdom.” She says the move will reduce “Russia’s ability to spy on Americans and to conduct covert operations that threaten America’s national security.”

The administration expelled 60 Russian diplomats and ordered Russia’s consulate in Seattle to close, as the United States and European nations sought to jointly punish Moscow for its alleged role in poisoning an ex-spy in Britain.

Sanders says the United States and allies want to send a message to Russia that “actions have consequences.”

— AP