WH's Raj Shah: Russia's 'Brazen' Attack Prevents Better Ties with US

The United States would like to have a cooperative relationship with Russia but actions like Moscow's "brazen" attack on a former Russian spy in Britain prevented that, the White House said on Monday.

"Our relationship with Russia is frankly up to the Russian government and up to Vladimir Putin and others in senior leadership in Russia," White House spokesman Raj Shah told a news briefing after the Trump administration ordered the expulsion of 60 Russian diplomats.

"We want to have a cooperative relationship. The president wants to work with the Russians but their actions sometimes don't allow that to happen," Shah said. "The poisoning in the UK that has kind of led to today's announcement was a very brazen action. It was a reckless action."