With Trump embroiled in a scandal that refuses to die over alleged ties between his campaign and Russia, Congress approved the sanctions against Russia this week. Without waiting for Trump to sign the new sanctions into law, Russia announced its response. A statement posted on the ministry’s website said the number of diplomatic and technical personnel across US diplomatic missions in Russia should not exceed 455. The ministry said the figure of 455 was equivalent to the number of Russian diplomatic staff accredited for work in the US. In December, Obama ordered the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats and the seizure of two Russian diplomatic compounds in retaliation for Russian meddling in the 2016 US election.

Source: The Guardian July 28, 2017 11:01 UTC