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<\/p>\nTrump May Reward Russia with Return of Seized Diplomatic Compounds<\/b><\/p>\n
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Donald Trump is moving toward returning\u00a0two diplomatic compounds seized by the Obama administration as punishment for interference in the U.S. elections, the Washington Post<\/em> reports<\/a>:<\/p>\n President Barack Obama said Dec. 29 that the compounds were being \u201cused by Russian personnel for intelligence-related purposes\u201d and gave Russia 24 hours to vacate them. Separately, Obama expelled from the United States what he said were 35 Russian \u201cintelligence operatives.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n Early last month, the Trump administration told the Russians that it would consider turning the properties back over to them if Moscow would lift its freeze, imposed in 2014 in retaliation for U.S. sanctions related to Ukraine, on construction of a new U.S. consulate on a certain parcel of land in St. Petersburg.<\/p>\n Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman Tom Perez said on Thursday that it shows Trump\u2019s allegiance to Putin over the U.S.<\/a><\/p>\n Rep. Adam Schiff asked, \u201cWhy reward them?\u201d<\/p>\n .@POTUS<\/a> should not return properties Russians used for espionage that were shuttered after they interfered in our election. Why reward them? t.co\/dv0EgTRSTL<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) June 1, 2017<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n The post Trump May Reward Russia with Return of Seized Diplomatic Compounds<\/a> appeared first on Towleroad<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n