Russia, long regarded by the left as President Donald Trump’s bestie — a viewpoint that’s gone far in fueling the Democrats’ fiery call to impeach — has issued a threat against the United States for what it sees as an unjustified seizure of its mansions.

America, during Barack Obama’s administration, seized two mansions used by Russia for diplomatic reasons — one in New York, one in Maryland. Obama’s White House also expelled 35 of Russian’s diplomats at the same time.

Now Russia’s calling for a return of its properties. And Trump’s balking at the request.

And Russia’s threatening “retaliation.”

From the Express:

US intelligence officials have said the mansions doubled as surveillance outposts for Russian spies. Russian officials have now said that no agreement was reached and they reserve the right to take “retaliatory measures.” The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on today: “Russia stressed that if Washington does not address this and other concerns, including persistent efforts to hinder the operation of Russia’s diplomatic missions, Russia has the right to take retaliatory measures in accordance with the principle of reciprocity.” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in a press conference in Mink yesterday that the US attitude was “robbery in broad daylight”. He added: “How is it possible to take away property formalised by a ratified inter-governmental document? And what kind of principle is it to say ‘What’s mine is mine, and we’ll divide what’s yours’ while discussing its return? Decent and well brought up people don’t behave this way.” Mr Lavrov continued: “I am confident the Trump administration has some reasonable people who realise that the Obama administration had made a decision to seize diplomatic real estate and to evict Russian diplomats and their families when the administration was in its death throes.” US President Donald Trump said when he met his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin at the recent G20 summit in Hamburg that they had discussed easing the sanctions but added that he did not want to remove them entirely. Before the talks Russia made clear it was demanding restored access to the facilities. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “We consider it absolutely unacceptable to place conditions on the return of diplomatic property, we consider that it must be returned without any conditions and talking.” Russia said it was considering “specific measures” in retaliation, including the expulsion of 30 US diplomats and seizure of US state property.

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