Putin Rejects Proposal To Expel US Diplomats From Russia In Response To Expulsion Of 96 Russians, Obama's Act Was Designed To Provoke A Reaction

"The US decision to expel 35 Russian diplomats has affected 96 people, including the officials themselves and their families, the spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

The number includes some pre-school children, Maria Zakharova said.

“One can only hope that this was the last thing that the current administration does to spoil bilateral relations – the last strange, unwise decision, which targeted, among other things, ordinary people and their simple human joys,” she added.

Moscow said the move by the Obama administration was a last-ditch effort to provoke the Russian government, and that it will decide on the future of relations with the US based on how the administration of President-elect Donald Trump acts."

"The Russian president has rejected a suggestion of the foreign ministry to expel 35 American diplomats in response to a similar move by the US. He said Obama’s act was designed to provoke a reaction, but Russia would not take the bait.

“We reserve the right to retaliate, but we will not sink to the level of this irresponsible ‘kitchen’ diplomacy. We will take further moves on restoring Russian-American relations based on the policies that the administration of President-elect Donald Trump adopts,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a statement.

Putin said that, unlike the Obama administration, Russia will not target foreign diplomats and their families days before New Year’s celebrations.

“We will not forbid families and children from spending the New Year’s holidays at the places they are used to. Moreover, I invite the children of all American diplomats with accreditation in Russia to New Year’s and Christmas festivities in the Kremlin,”

“I congratulate President-elect Donald Trump and the entire American people!” he concluded.

"I'd believe Russia Today about what they were going to do before I'd believe our warmongering Gov-mouthpiece MSM about what Russia was going to do."

Basically what we're arguing here is "do the ends justify the means?". We reached an end (political corruption was exposed), but the means that were used were divisive and harmful to the country, and thus should be reprimanded. Not taking action would send a message that the US is wide open to foreign intervention and that its people would gladly welcome it because:::::::

they trust outsiders more than they trust their own government

There was no "foreign intervention" in the email scandal... Assange has said this himself [link to www.foxnews.com]

Those are DNC lies attempting to deflect from the actual CONTENT of the emails.

Personally, I don't care if it was Jimmy down the street or Putin in the Kremlin who released the emails and the corruption they contained. That's not the point. The point is, the emails exposed a corrupt government and if that influenced votes away from those individuals, so be it. I would rather people not vote than to vote for corruption. Why TF...would ANYONE...aside from the corrupt goverment...be upset by that type of "intervention". Please. People, learn to think for yourselves.

Thanks Scrump...hands down a true thumbs up. I second you.