US orders Russia to close diplomatic offices in New York, Washington and San Francisco

The US has ordered Russia to close diplomatic offices in New York, Washington and San Francisco - the latest in a series of tit-for-tat moves by the two nations.

After Donald Trump reluctantly signed a bill imposing new sanctions on Russia for interfering with the 2016 election, Russia swiftly reacted by order the closure of American diplomatic facilities.

In a statement blasting that move as “unwarranted and detrimental to the overall relationship between our countries”, the State Department directed Russia to shutter the three facilities “in the spirit of parity”.

“The United States hopes that, having moved toward the Russian Federation's desire for parity, we can avoid further retaliatory actions by both sides”, the statement said.

Mr Trump's warm words for Russian President Vladimir Putin and repeated calls for better relations countries had fueled hopes of rebuilding a relationship that had grown increasingly strained amid Russian aggression in Europe and its meddling in other countries' politics.

But the consensus among American intelligence agencies that Mr Putin sought to disrupt the 2016 election, as well as the ongoing investigation to potential ties between the Trump campaign and Russia, have undercut hopes for a detente.

Despite those crosscurrents Mr Trump has continued to express hope about improved relations. Directly asked earlier this week if he considered Russia a security threat, Mr Trump deflected the question and reiterated his goal of stronger ties.

“I hope the United States will someday be able to have a good relationship with Russia”, Mr Trump told reporters.

Similarly, the statement ordering the closure of Russian facilities urged “improve relations between our two countries” as “the stated goal of both our presidents”.

INDEPENDENT.