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Both the House and the Senate have passed legislation that would increase sanctions on Russia, tightening restrictions on the country's oil and gas industries. In response, Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced that the U.S. must cut 755 staff members from the Russian embassy. The Obama administration posed similar sanctions on Russia in 2014, limiting the number of Russian diplomats working in the U.S.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders has said that President Trump supports sanctions against Russia, but the president has not yet signed the sanctions into law. Rajan Menon, Anne and Bernard Spitzer Professor at the Powell School at The City College of New York, joins The Takeaway to weigh in on the escalating tensions between the U.S. and Russia.  

This segment is hosted by Todd Zwillich.