On Thursday, almost three weeks after the July 28 announcement, Mr Trump addressed the issue for the first time.

“I want to thank him because we're trying to cut down on payroll,” said Mr Trump.

“And as far as I'm concerned, I'm very thankful that he let go of a large number of people because now we have a smaller payroll. There's no real reason for them to go back.

“So I greatly appreciate the fact that they've been able to cut our payroll for the United States. We'll save a lot of money.”

The staff reduction will see the US presence in Russia reduced by nearly 60 per cent, according to the latest figures, which put the total staffing at the US embassy in Moscow and its three consulates at 1,279 people.