The United States said Wednesday the demand by Belarus to ask 10 diplomats of the U.S. embassy in Minsk to leave in 72 hours is "unjustified and unwarranted."
"We told the Belarusians in private, and we will say in public, that we believe that this action is unjustified and unwarranted," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said.
"Since this was a formal diplomatic request, we will comply with it," McCormack said, adding that the United States is considering its response.
Earlier Wednesday, Belarus sent a formal request to the U.S. embassy in Minsk and asked 10 U.S. diplomats to leave the country in 72 hours.
Belarus asked U.S. ambassador to Belarus Karen Stewart to leave in March and recalled its envoy to the United States.
According to the Foreign Ministry of Belarus, the moves have been taken to retaliate against Washington's new sanctions on Belarus' national oil products firm Belneftekhim last year.
Bilateral ties between the United States and Belarus have been chilly.
Source:Xinhua
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