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Friday 30 December 2016

Putin Fires Back Closing American School And Embassy Vacation Home In Moscow As Trump Vows To Review Obama's 'Cold War Directive'

Vladimir Putin has taken the dramatic step to close an Anglo-American day school in Moscow just hours after President Obama announced tough new sanctions against the country
Vladimir Putin has taken the dramatic step to close an Anglo-American day school in Moscow just hours after President Obama announced tough new sanctions against the country.
Putin's government announced on Thursday it was shutting the Anglo-American School of Moscow - a K-12 school chartered by the U.S., British, and Canadian embassies.
About 1,200 students from 60 different countries take classes at the school.

Putin's government announced on Thursday it was shutting the Anglo-American School of Moscow - a K-12 school chartered by the U.S., British, and Canadian embassies



A vacation house in Serebryany Bor - near Moscow, used by the American embassy will also be shuttered, CNN reports. 
It comes just hours after Putin's spokesman said the government was considering retaliatory steps to Obama's new sanctions.

Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Thursday that the measures signal Obama's 'unpredictable' and 'aggressive foreign policy.'
'Such steps of the U.S. administration that has three weeks left to work are aimed at two things: to further harm Russian-American ties, which are at a low point as it is, as well as, obviously, deal a blow on the foreign policy plans of the incoming administration of the president-elect,' Peskov said.

Obama imposed sanctions on Russian officials and intelligence services in retaliation for Russia's hacking of American political sites and email accounts ahead of the November election. 
Peskov on Thursday reiterated that Russia was not involved in the hacking. 
Donald Trump responded to the sanctions, saying it is 'time for our country to move on to bigger and better things.'

It echoes comments he has made publicly and on Twitter since both the CIA and FBI agreed Russia was involved in hacking during the election campaign. 
But he added he'll meet with U.S. intelligence officials next week 'in order to be updated on the facts of this situation.' 
Kellyanne Conway then questioned whether the sanctions are being put in place to make life difficult for her boss.
'I will tell you that even those who are sympathetic to President Obama on most issues are saying that part of the reason he did this today was to quote "box in" President-elect Trump,' Conway said on CNN.
'That would be very unfortunate if politics were the motivating factor here. We can't help but think that's often true.
'All we heard through the election was "Russia, Russia, Russia". Since the election, it's just this fever pitch of accusations and insinuations.'
However, despite Trump's comments, Obama has found allies within the Republican Party who celebrated his move. 
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell the sanctions 'a good initial step, however late in coming.'
Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) talks to US President Barack Obama (R) during a meeting at the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Hangzhou, China, in September 2016
Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) talks to US President Barack Obama (R) during a meeting at the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Hangzhou, China, in September 2016

He then went on to accuse Obama of allowing Russia to 'expanded its sphere of influence', over the past eight years.
McConnell said, 'The Russians are not our friends' and is promising that Congress will review accusations that Moscow interfered in the U.S. election.
He added Congress will 'work to ensure that any attack against the United States is met with an overwhelming response.'
Republican Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham also said sanctions against announced by the Obama administration are 'a small price' for Russia to pay for interfering with U.S. elections, adding they will lead efforts in Congress to impose stronger punishments.


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