Bedminster: The White House says President Donald Trump was not being serious when he thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for ordering a drastic reduction in the number of US diplomatic employees and saving the US significant cash.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said Friday that Trump "was being sarcastic" when he made the remark a day earlier. Trump had said he "greatly" appreciated Putin's help cutting down the State Department's payroll. At the time, it was unclear whether he was joking.

Putin said last month the US would have to cut 755 of its diplomatic staff in Russia a response to new sanctions that seek to punish Moscow for meddling in the 2016 US election and for its military aggression in Ukraine and Syria.