Putin says Russia won't expel US diplomats

© NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA/AFP/Getty Images Russian President Vladimir Putin (C) walks prior to a State Council meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow on December 27, 2016.

President Vladimir Putin says Russia won't be expelling US diplomats in response to a new round of US sanctions.

This is a developing story.The earlier version follows.

WASHINGTON — The Latest on the tensions between the United States and Russia over hacking attacks in the US elections (All times EST)

5:30 a.m.

Russia's foreign minister has suggested expelling 35 U.S. diplomats in response to a new round of U.S. sanctions against Moscow.

U.S. President Barack Obama on Thursday imposed sanctions on Russian officials and intelligence services in retaliation alleged Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election, as American political sites and email accounts were hacked. Thirty-five Russian diplomats were ordered to leave the U.S. in 72 hours and two facilities closed.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in televised remarks on Friday that the foreign ministry and other agencies have suggested that President Vladimir Putin order expulsion of 31 employees of the U.S. embassy in Moscow and 4 diplomats from the U.S. consulate in St. Petersburg. Another suggestion is to bar U.S. diplomats from using their summer retreat on the outskirts of Moscow and a warehouse in the south of Moscow.

The Kremlin spokesman said late Thursday that it would be up to Putin to draft retaliatory measures.

4:1 5 a.m.

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has called a new round of U.S. sanctions against his country "anti-Russian death throes."

U.S. President Barack Obama on Thursday imposed sanctions on Russian officials and intelligence services in retaliation for Russia's interference in the U.S. presidential election by hacking American political sites and email accounts. The Kremlin said late on Thursday that it was considering retaliatory steps.

When he was president in 2008-2012 Medvedev focused on improving U.S.-Russia ties in what became known as the "reset" policy. He voiced disappointment with the new round of sanctions on Friday.

"It is sad that the Obama administration that began its life by restoring ties ends it with anti-Russian death throes. RIP," Medvedev said on Twitter.

Medvedev visited the United States in 2010 and sent his first tweet during a visit to Twitter's headquarters in the Silicon Valley.

© NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA/AFP/Getty Images FILE - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attends a news conference in Moscow on December 20, 2016.

3:09 a.m.

The United States is unleashing a string of sanctions and other punitive measures against Russia amid allegations it engaged in cyber-meddling in the U.S. presidential campaign, putting pressure on President-elect Donald Trump not to let Moscow off the hook after he takes office.

Russia's government threatened retaliation and continued to deny U.S. accusations that it hacked and stole emails to try to help Trump win. Trump said the U.S. should move on, but in a sign he was no longer totally brushing off the allegations, he planned to meet with U.S. intelligence leaders next week to learn more.

A month after an election the U.S. says Russia tried to sway for Trump, President Barack Obama on Thursday sanctioned the GRU and FSB, leading Russian intelligence agencies the U.S. said were involved. In an elaborately coordinated response by at least five federal agencies, the Obama administration also sought to expose Russia's cyber tactics with a detailed technical report and hinted it might still launch a covert counterattack.

Associated Press