The decision to close three Russian diplomatic facilities on the territory of the United States was made by US President Donald Trump, White House spokesperson Sarah Sanders told reporters on Thursday.

Axar.az reports citing TASS that, "This was a decision made by the President, yes," she said in response to a reporter’s question.

On Thursday, the US issued a demand to the Russian government to close down the Consulate General in San Francisco and another two diplomatic facilities, one in Washington and one in New York, saying the move was aimed at restoring parity in diplomatic relations with Russia.

A spokeswoman for the Department of State told a news briefing the decision implied the Russian Consulate General in San Francisco and the trade missions in Washington and New York. She said along with it, the US did not demand that the Russian staff employed at these legations be sent off home.