Trump Aide Questions New American Sanctions On Russia

US President-elect Donald Trump’s spokesman Sean Spicer said that the White House may have disproportionately punished Russia by expelling 35 suspected Russian spies. Made during an interview with ABC, Spicer’s remarks are in sharp contrast with the stance taken by prominent Republican leaders, but in line with Trump’s views on the issue.

During the interview, Spicer also remarked on what he saw as absence of similar aggressive actions in 2015, when China was accused by the White House of using hackers to steal US government and corporate data.

US intelligence agencies believe that the hack on Democratic National Committee servers, during which over 19,000 emails were stolen, was carried out by Russia, ostensibly to help Trump win the presidential elections. Russia, however, has denied being involved in the cyberassault, calling the new sanctions "a provocation aimed at further undermining Russian-US relations."

Russian President Vladimir Putin decided not to expel anyone in retaliation, saying he would consider the actions of Trump when deciding on further steps. Trump, who has repeatedly praised Putin, said the Russian leader was "very smart" for holding back.