USA: Obama Hits Russia With New Sanctions

The Obama administration has hit Russia with new sanctions in response to Moscow’s alleged hacking and interference in the November U.S. presidential elections.

“Today, I have ordered a number of actions in response to the Russian government’s aggressive harassment of U.S. officials and cyber operations aimed at the U.S. election,” President Barack Obama said in a statement. “These actions follow repeated private and public warnings that we have issued to the Russian government, and are a necessary and appropriate response to efforts to harm U.S. interests in violation of established international norms of behavior.”

The sanctions include the president’s order for 35 Russian intelligence operatives to leave the United States within 72 hours, and penalties on Russia’s two leading intelligence services.

The Obama administration would like the sanctions to be in place before the president leaves office January 20.

Senators McCain and Graham feel “The retaliatory measures announced by the Obama Administration today are long overdue.”