Russia moves to expel 35 US diplomats: Lavrov

Moscow: Russia’s foreign ministry has requested President Vladimir Putin turf out 35 American diplomats from the country in a tit-for-tat response to a similar move by Washington, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Friday.

“Russia’s foreign ministry... has requested that the Russian president approve declaring as personae non gratae 31 employees of the US embassy in Moscow and four diplomats from the US consulate in Saint Petersburg,” Lavrov said in televised comments.