America's incoming president Donald Trump is praising Vladimir Putin's decision to hold off any tit-for-tat retaliation, in response to America's expulsion of Russian diplomats.
The US president-elect has taken to social media, calling it a "great move" by the Russian leader.
The Kremlin's response is being seen as a effort to create a fresh start in severely strained bilateral ties when Mr Trump is sworn in next month.
Our North America correspondent Malcolm Brown reports.
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