Horsing Around with Putin  12-30-16

The Australian
THE TIMES Dec. 30, 2016

Expect Vladimir Putin’s retaliation to sanctions to recall the Soviet era
Recent history suggests that Russia’s response to the expulsion of its diplomats from the US will not be long in coming.

Moscow could retaliate as early as today in what would be one of the biggest tit-for-tat clashes of the post-USSR era, after condemning the measures as the “death throes of the political corpse” of President Obama’s administration.

Dmitri Peskov, spokesman to Vladimir Putin, said that the Russian president would determine the response “on the basis of reciprocity”, and it would “cause substantial discomfort to the American side”.

Mr Obama’s measures froze any assets that the bodies and individuals concerned had in the US, and cast into doubt a nascent thaw between Moscow and Washington as Donald Trump prepares to enter office next month on a promise to improve relations with Mr Putin.
The sanctions named four officers of the GRU military intelligence service, including Igor Korobov, the agency chief.

Andrei Krasov, head of the State Duma’s defence committee, claimed that “these American sanctions will in no way influence the work of the Main Intelligence Directorate [GRU] of the general headquarters”.  read more here

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