Russia has promised a “harsh response” to the new U.S. sanctions that sent its financial markets into a tailspin, but without similar leverage over the American economy, the Kremlin is likely to look beyond tit-for-tat steps.
That could mean moves against U.S. companies operating in Russia or restrictions on trade in products like titanium, where Siberian mines are vital global sources, according to Andrei Klimov, deputy chairman of the international affairs committee in the upper house of parliament. Others have proposed retaliating in foreign policy, such as by giving advanced air-defense systems to North Korea to protect its nuclear program, but Klimov said officials are unlikely to take a risk like that.
