Policies president elect trump will enact. This all started when president obama took unprecedented steps to punish russia for the alleged hacking, ordering 35 Russian Diplomats to leave the u. S. Within 72 hours. Two russian compounds have been ordered closed. So far what we are hearing from president elect trump, move on, saying its time for our country to move on to bigger and better things. Our team is covering the diplomatic fallout from d. C. To moscow. We begin with Cnn Senior International correspondent Matthew Chance in moscow. Reporter what an astonishing display of political theater in moscow with the Russian Foreign minister first appearing on state television, solemnly recommending the kremlin expel 35 u. S. Diplomats, a tit for tat response to the expulsion of 35 Russian Diplomats announced a day before. The kremlin says it was for Vladimir Putin to make the final decision, setting the stage for the russian president to play santa claus and to make his unexpected announcement. We wont expel anyone, he declared in a statement, or create any problems for u. S. Diplomats. In fact, putin went on to invite the children of u. S. Diplomats in moscow to christmas and new years shows at the kremlin and to wish president obama and his family seasonal greetings. The restoration of u. S. russian relations, he went on, will depend on the policies of donald trump who becomes president of the United States in under three weeks. Russian officials are hopeful that an Incoming Trump administration will be more inclined to do a deal with moscow over issues like sanctions, the war in syria and the situation in ukraine. Putins refusal to respond to the latest u. S. Sanctions and expulsions shows just how important the kremlin sees that future relationship. Matthew chance, cnn, moscow. Matthew, thank you very much. Putins decision not to retaliate against the u. S. Comes even as president obama hints that the white house may not be done yet. Cnn justice correspondent evan perez is following that story and joins me from washington. What more could we see . Reporter some of that stuff we wouldnt see, the white house says right now, but the president is on his way out the door in three weeks. President obama says now is the time to order these extraordinary set of sanctions, he says its in response not only to russian meddling in the u. S. Election but also because of months of harassment of u. S. Diplomats in russia. The u. S. Is imposing sanctions against nine russian individuals and entities that, includes the fsb, russias domestic security agency, the Russian Military intelligence unit, the gru. Both are believed to be behind hacks of mostly Democratic Party organizations. The u. S. Is ordering 35 diplomats in new york and washington out of the country by sunday and in the next two hours shutting down two russianowned compounds, one in maryland, another in new york. Heres lisa monaco talking to jake tapper explaining exactly what was behind all of this. What these individuals were doing were basically collecting intelligence. They were Intelligence Officers operating here and using these compounds, one in new york, one in maryland, for intelligence collection purposes. What we are saying today is in response to and in order to impose consequences for the russian governments increasing harassment and aggression toward our personnel in moscow and of course, their malicious cyberactivities interfering in an effort to interfere in our election process, we are imposing consequences. Reporter the president is also declassifying intelligence on russian cyberactivity to help cybersecurity professionals here and in the United States and abroad identify, detect and disrupt cyberattacks from russia. Evan perez. The view from washington. Thank you. That announcement of sanctions against russia is prompting a Swift Response from president elect donald trump. Hes issuing a statement saying quote, it is time for our country to move on to bigger and better things. Nevertheless, in the interest of our country and its great people i will meet with leaders of the Intelligence Community next week in order to be updated on the facts of this situation, unquote. Cnns Jessica Schneider now joins me. Jessica, some key members of trumps staff are also speaking out. What are they saying . Reporter we know trumps top advisers are reacting with a combination of doubt and even their own accusations. Top adviser Kellyanne Conway saying the sanctions seem largely symbolic and she continues to cast questions on the Intelligence Community and its conclusion that the russians hacked into political committees in the midst of the election. Then conway even went on to accuse president obama of playing politics in this whole situation. Even those who are sympathetic to president obama on most issues are saying that part of the reason he did this today was to quote, box in president elect trump that. Would be very unfortunate if that were the motive, if politics were the motivating factor here but we cant help but think thats often true. Reporter trumps chief of staff speaking out too, repeating his request for more information from the Intelligence Community. We agree that foreign governments shouldnt be hacking american institutions, period, so its not like we condone the hacking of institutions, and entities and businesses in america. Of course not. Its wrong and its something we dont agree with. However, it would be nice if we could get to a place where the Intelligence Community in unison can tell us what it is that has been going on and what the investigation was and what its led to. Reporter Reince Priebus says it is up to the president elect to decide if he will roll back those sanctions instituted by the current white house. Priebus saying trump will be talking to his leadership at the defense and state department before making any decisions and of course, as we heard donald trump himself says he will meet with the Intelligence Community next week. Martin . Interesting mix of ideas all coming together. Jessica schneider, thank you very much for that. With me to discuss this is bobby goesh, Steven Halley who managed Russian Operations for 30 years. Vladimir putin himself says russia wont expel anyone in response to the sanctions. Hes also said the russian sanctions will depend on apparently what trump is going to do. What do you make of all of this . Well, this is an incredibly astute move by Vladimir Putin and its a tremendous political gift to donald trump. What does it allow the president elect to say . It allows him to say look, i was right all along about this, the russians are really people we can get along with, i do want to strike out on a new relationship with Vladimir Putin and the Current Administration was wrong, overreactive and perhaps even childlike and the russians are taking the high road and as i have always said, we need to engage with them. This is a real great thing for donald trump to be able to start his presidency with. Bobby, do you think also that this was a surprise for the Obama Administration, maybe even for president elect trump . I think its certainly a surprise. Im not so sure its a gift. You have to beware of putin bearing gifts because it puts trump in an interesting position. He has to decide pretty soon after he becomes president , does he play along with putin and withdraw the sanctions that obama imposed and explain to the republican party, to the senate and the house, to the american people, why hes doing that, or does he go along with those sanctions and find some other way a few months down the line to get his reset with putin going. Im not sure this is a clear gift from putin. It is very clever of him. It makes him look like the bigger guy, that hes not responding too hastily, hes willing to give the americans of the benefit of the doubt. Thats certainly how hes communicating it at home. It almost seems a twist on the Michelle Obama line, when they go low, we go high. Conway suggests president obamas actions are essentially boxing mr. Trump in. Would you agree with that . Its hard not to see it that way from her point of view and certainly, theres politics involved in timing. We have known the russians have been interfering in American Companies and american institutions for a very long time and certainly in the american political system for several months. The timing of this three months three weeks before the president is out the door, you have to account for a certain amount of politicking going on. It does seem like its designed to force at least donald trump to make hard decisions early on vis a vis the russians, to state his position openly and plainly where he stands on this relationship. Yeah, i think there was plenty of provocation on the russian side. Theres plenty of reason for this action but the timing of this certainly political. I find it interesting that of course donald trump has said we need to move on, but he also now says hes going to attend intel briefings. Im wondering, does this suggest he is having perhaps a change of mind or is at least willing to listen to an argument . Well, i can say that i think its going to be a series of difficult meetings initially with the president elect, because hes already cast significant aspersions on the intelligence that Intelligence Officers have been working very hard to collect the past couple of months. Whether or not its actually him reaching out and trying to reconsider things, i dont know. But i do know its going to be difficult certainly at the working level inside of cia, you will get people who are going to say look, my family and i have been in very difficult situations trying to collect this information and yet the president elect seems not to be taking it seriously. I think its also worth remembering what Vladimir Putin is all about here. None of what he has said, his decision not to reciprocate which the russians almost always do in cases like this in terms of expelling americans and doing other things against the u. S. Mission in moscow and russia, is we cant forget it doesnt annul the fact he was trying to get into the u. S. Election system, that he did indeed annex crimea, did continues to support separatists in ukraine. Those are things putin would like the Incoming Administration and indeed, the west, to perhaps not think about so much as we strike out on some sort of new relationship with russia. Remember, trump is not the first person who has said we need to really start getting along with russia. Barack obama said the same thing, as did his predecessor. This is something that putin is very very good at and the russians count on new president s taking this tack. The famous reset. Bobby, let me ask you this. This action of kicking 35 suspected spies out of the country, sanctions and closing down some offices, its almost like its very traditional. It seems hardly inspired kind of retaliation. Im wondering, do you think that was really the wisest move . Well, that is why it seems so symbolic. What we dont know, and the white house has suggested there are things going on that they cannot tell us about that, retaliatory interference into russian computer systems, thats not something obviously any white house is going to talk about openly. There are sanctions within sanctions that are in place. More interesting to me than simply tossing out a bunch of diplomats which seems very retro, very 1970s, is the sanctions that have been placed on the leadership of russian intelligence agencies. That, if those screws can be tightened, then that creates, that boxes them into a certain place but that depends on donald trump following through on these sanctions which is far from certain that he will. Thats exactly right. We will find out in just a few weeks. Thank you both. Coming up, hes got three weeks left in the white house and president obama is in a lot or an allsprint, i should say, to the finish line. How a string of last minute moves will impact the next president which is next. Rodney and his new business. He teaches lessons to stanley. And thats kind of it right now. But rodney knew just what to do. He got quickbooks. It organizes all his accounts, so he knows where he stands in an instant. Ahhh. Thats a profit. Which gave him the idea to spend a little cash on some brilliant marketing ha, clever. Wow, look at all these new students way to grow, rodney know where you stand instantly. Visit quickbooks. Com. With just three weeks until he turns the white house over to donald trump, president obama seems to be making a pretty fast dash for the finish line but not before enacting a series of moves that could have an impact on how trump carries out his role as president. Among those, the sanctions against russia, abstaining from the u. N. Vote on israeli settlements and then making a push to boost obamacare enrollment. In the next month, a farewell address a few days before trumps inauguration. Here to discuss all of this, david cantonese from u. S. News and world report and david swordlick, assistant editor for the washington post. Nice to see you both. Thank you. Russia sanctions, trump says its time to move on. Putin says for now at least hes not going to kick diplomats out of russia. What about this kind of odd turn of events here . What do you make of that . I think the first thing thats interesting is that you have two foreign leaders that are of strategic interest to the United States, Benjamin Netanyahu of israel and Vladimir Putin of russia, who are both looking forward to the new administration of president elect donald trump. Now, i think its impossible for us to sit here and say what donald trump is going to do when hes inaugurated in 20 some days. We have all looked like fools before in trying to predict that. But i think we could safely assume he is going to try to reach out to both of these countries and try to form alliances with them in the way that president obama has not. I think the big question is going to be really, does this russian hacking overwhelm the rest of trumps agenda . It has been a big part of the postelection conversation, how much it affected the election. I think Going Forward the big question is does he strike back and repeal the sanctions obama just put in place and does he have any support on capitol hill for it because remember, this is an issue where he is really opposed to members of his own family. I had the very same thing. You have two World Leaders coming out in support of donald trump. Its not just u. S. Tensions with russia of course thats already been highlighted by the other david, its also the way forward in the middle east after the u. S. Allowed a u. N. Resolution condemning israeli settlements in East Jerusalem and the west bank. Im wondering, President Trump has said dont worry, things will be better when im in office but he cant overturn that resolution. How much of the talk that the president elect has made can he really follow through on . Well, i think he can follow through in a couple of ways. I agree with david that President Trump is going to try to turn the page, reach out to netanyahu, reach out to putin, try to at least initially establish more friendly relations at least on the surface with these two countries and with some other countries. I take a slightly different view of what obama has done. I think obama actually reached out to a great degree with both russia and israel or to their regimes in the early days of his administration, but things definitely soured more on a personal front with netanyahu and then more over issues with putin and now president obama is sort of unleashed because he only has three weeks left, hes about to leave office and he is taking some of these moves. In terms of that resolution, President Trump wont be able to overturn it but the United States is still the big dog in the u. N. Security council and President Trump will be the commander in chief at that point so he will be able to turn things in a different direction if he so chooses. Yes, he can, including moving the embassy. David, on the domestic front, trump has vowed hes going to repeal and replace obamacare as one of the first acts but he also says hes open to keeping two of the laws most popular parts, forcing insurers to cover preexisting conditions and allowing children to stay on their parents plans until their mid 20s. This is the president s signature initiative. Could it be this stays in place despite all the rhetoric to get rid of it . Republicans are going to have to move on trying to repeal obamacare. This is what they have been campaigning on really since 2010. This has been a sixyear campaign against obamacare. I think if they dont do anything on it, they are going to have hell to pay with their base. This is something that obviously president elect donald trump talked about throughout his campaign, too. Heres unity with the republican party, establishment republican party, and donald trump. The problem comes in exactly what you talked about, what they replace it with. Thats why i dont think its going to happen as quickly as possible. You have Senate Majority leader Mitch Mcconnell saying we want to do this in the first week right when we get back but now you have some members going back to their dis