Moscow will take countermeasures in response to the U.S. decision to expand its sanctions against Russia, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
“We emphasize that the U.S. should not cherish illusions regarding the possibility that it can continue this line without negative consequences for itself. We will take countermeasures, but not necessarily mirror [the U.S. expansion of sanction lists],” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a commentary on its website on Sep 2.
“Washington’s actions devalue its own signals on its interest in cooperation with us in solving a number of pressing international problems. It looks like the futility of attempts to put sanction pressure on us doesn’t teach the Washington strategists anything,” it said.
The Russian Foreign Ministry called the expansion of the anti-Russian sanction list “another element in a series of hostile actions the U.S. has lately undertaken against Russia in various fields, including the military, economic, and visa ones,” it said.
“Washington’s unacceptable rhetoric goes overboard. Such a reckless course causes growing concerns even among U.S. allies. It is fraught with serious costs for international stability and is sure to boomerang on American interests,” it said.
Washington’s decision on expanding the sanction lists announced on Sep. 2, which includes Russian companies and organizations and also some legal entities with Russian participation outside the country, is “not only another manifestation of the U.S. administration’s inability to appropriately assess the ongoing developments in Ukraine.”
“This is also a sign of the line toward consistently destroying the basis for normalizing Russian-American relations, which has taken root in the U.S. ruling circles,” it said.
It was reported earlier that the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has placed a number of Russian companies on the sanction list over events in Ukraine, a statement posted on the Federal Register governmental website reads.
“BIS is taking this action to ensure the efficacy of existing sanctions on the Russian Federation [Russia] for violating international law and fueling the conflict in eastern Ukraine,” the statement reads.
Companies from the United Kingdom, Romania, Ukraine, Finland and Switzerland were also included on the list.
The list of Russian companies include Vankorneft, Izhevsky Mekhanichesky Zavod, Neft-Aktiv, Achinsk Refinery, Angarsk Petrochemical Company, Kuybyshev Refinery, Novokuybyshev Refinery, Orenburgneft, RN Holding, Samotlorneftegaz, Syzran Refinery, Kontsern Izhmash, Verkhnechonskneftegaz, RN-Komsomolsky Refinery, RN-Yuganskneftegaz and others.
