Russian President Vladimir Putin has President Donald Trump‘s thanks — for booting U.S. diplomats out of his country.
“I want to thank him because we’re trying to cut down our payroll … I’m very thankful that he let go of a large number of people because now we have a smaller payroll,” Trump told reporters Thursday at his New Jersey golf club.
After Congress passed a new Russia sanctions package, Putin said the U.S. would have to reduce its diplomatic mission there by 755 people. Trump later signed the bill, but said he had “problems” with it.
Members of Trump’s administration, who had sought better relations with Russia, called the developments another setback. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said relations with Moscow were under “considerable stress.”
Those sanctions came partly in response to accusations of Russian attempts to influence the 2016 election.
Former FBI Director Robert Mueller is the special counsel overseeing the federal investigation into Russian meddling. Trump has fumed about that probe.
However, he said Thursday he has not thought about firing Mueller. But he contended that Mueller is investigating “something that never happened.”