Russian President Vladimir Putin will not expel U.S. diplomats from his country in response to new U.S. sanctions, he announced Friday morning.

“We will not create any problems for US diplomats. We will not expel anyone. We will not prevent their families and children from using their traditional leisure sites during the New Year's holidays,” Putin said in an official statement

President Obama on Thursday announced he was expelling 35 Russian intelligence operatives from the U.S. and closing two Russian compounds in New York and Maryland that were used by Russia for intelligence purposes.

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Obama also unveiled economic sanctions against Russia, part of his response to the intelligence community’s finding that the Kremlin interfered in the U.S. presidential election.

The Russian Foreign Ministry had recommended Putin expel 35 American diplomats in response, but Putin will reportedly not do so.

There were conflicting reports about whether Russia ordered the closure of the Anglo-American School in Moscow, which served the children of U.S. and foreign nationals. CNN initially reported the closure of the school, then noted that a Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman denied it.

The CIA reportedly concluded in a secret assessment that Russia interfered with the specific intent of getting Trump elected.

“Although we have the right to retaliate,” Putin said Friday, “we will not resort to irresponsible ‘kitchen’ diplomacy but will plan our further steps to restore Russian-US relations based on the policies of the Trump Administration.”

Obama also signaled Thursday that the U.S. will undertake some covert action against Russia.

“These actions are not the sum total of our response to Russia’s aggressive activities,” Obama said in a statement. “We will continue to take a variety of actions at a time and place of our choosing, some of which will not be publicized.”