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Trump praises Putin for holding back in U.S.-Russia spy dispute

Trump praises Putin for holding back in U.S.-Russia spy dispute

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President-elect Donald Trump on Friday praised Russian President Vladimir Putin for holding back retaliation in the U.S.–Russia spying and cyberattack dispute. The move signals Trump’s intent to repair strained ties with Moscow.   Putin said he would not respond immediately to President Barack Obama’s expulsion of 35 suspected Russian spies. He said Russia would wait until Trump takes office on January 20 before deciding further steps.   “Great move on delay (by V. Putin) – I always knew he was very smart!” Trump tweeted from Florida, where he is vacationing.   Obama on Thursday ordered the expulsions and sanctioned two Russian intelligence agencies for hacking U.S. political groups before the November 8 election. Putin said Russia reserved the right to retaliate. He added that future ties depend on Trump’s policies.   Meanwhile, U.S. officials told the Washington Post that code linked to the Russian hacking group “Grizzly Steppe” was found in a Vermont power utility system. They said the code did not disrupt operations but exposed a serious vulnerability.   Trump has dismissed CIA and FBI findings that Russia hacked Democrats to help him defeat Hillary Clinton. He said it was time to “move on to bigger and better things,” though he plans to meet intelligence officials next week.   Russian officials called Obama’s sanctions a last act of a lame-duck president and expect Trump to reverse them. A senior U.S. official warned undoing the measures would be unwise.   Republican leaders, including Senator John McCain, demanded punishment for Moscow. “When you attack a country, it’s an act of war,” McCain said during a trip to Kiev. He scheduled a Senate hearing on foreign cyber threats for Thursday.   Despite the sanctions, analysts said Trump could still improve relations with Russia without lifting Obama’s measures. “He can just say this was Obama’s decision,” said Eugene Rumer of the Carnegie Endowment.   Obama also ordered Russia to close two compounds used for intelligence activities. Russian diplomats and families left the Maryland and New York facilities on Friday.   The sanctions target the GRU and FSB intelligence agencies, four GRU officers, and three companies accused of aiding cyber operations.      
 U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin walk into a photo opportunity before their meeting at the United Nations General Assembly in New York September 28, 2015. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin walk into a photo opportunity before their meeting at the United Nations General Assembly in New York September 28, 2015. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

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