The Obama administration has moved against Russia. From Reuters:
The United States on Thursday expelled 35 Russian diplomats and closed two Russian compounds in New York and Maryland in response to a campaign of harassment by Russia against American diplomats in Moscow, a senior U.S. official said on Thursday.
The diplomats in Washington and San Francisco have 72 hours to leave the U.S. The U.S. will block access to the compounds in Maryland and New York beginning at noon Friday.
Politico describes this as retaliation for Russian election hacking.
So. Does Donald Trump soon tweet reassurances to his pal Putin that things are going to ber different when he takes office next month?
NY Times figures this puts Trump in a tight spot.
The sanctions were also intended to box in President-elect Donald J. Trump. Mr. Trump has consistently cast doubt that the Russian government had anything to do with the hacking of the D.N.C. or other political institutions, saying American intelligence agencies could not be trusted and suggesting that the hacking could have been the work of a “400-pound guy” lying in his bed.
Mr. Trump will now have to decide whether to lift the sanctions on the Russian intelligence agencies when he takes office next month, with Republicans in Congress among those calling for a public investigation into Russia’s actions. Should Mr. Trump do so, it would require him to effectively reject the findings of his intelligence agencies.
UPDATE: Homeland Security and FBI have issued report on how Russia endeavored to manipulate election.
UPDATE II: Donald Trump didn’t precisely say, “Move along, nothing to see here.” But pretty close.
“It’s time for our country to move on to bigger and better things. Nevertheless, in the interest of our country and its great people, I will meet with leaders of the intelligence community next week in order to be updated on the facts of this situation.”