What's the diplomatic message behind Kremlin's largesse?

龟山淬火

What's the diplomatic message behind Kremlin's largesse?

There appeared to be two separate messages coming out of the Kremlin on Friday, when Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced that 31 American diplomats would be expelled as retaliation -- and then Russian President Vladimir Putin announced no U.S. diplomats would be ousted.

]

                               
登录/注册后可看大图

Play VIDEO
Putin holds off retaliation over ouster of Russian diplomats

What appeared to be mixed messages coming from Putin actually could be choreographed, CBS News’ Elizabeth Palmer reports.

Lavrov’s announcement of a tit-for-tat expulsion --[color=#841c1c !important]President Obama said on Thursday that 35 Russian diplomats would be expelledfrom the U.S. -- is a common practice that goes back to the Cold War. But Putin made one of the “grand moves” he is known for by declaring that there would be no “tat” expulsion sends the message that Mr. Obama’s gesture is inconsequential and not worth responding to.

                               
登录/注册后可看大图