US sanctions spark Russia retaliations

Moscow orders diplomatic staff cut, property seizures as row escalates

MOSCOW - Russia told the United States on Friday that some of its diplomats must leave the country in just over a month and said it was seizing some US diplomatic property as retaliation for proposed new US sanctions it described as illegal.

The response, announced by Russian Foreign Ministry, came a day after the US Senate voted to slap new sanctions on Russia, putting President Donald Trump in a tough position by forcing him to take a hard line on Moscow or veto the legislation and anger his own Republican Party.