Russia ‘expanding its sanctions blacklist of US nationals’
Russia says it is adding more US nationals to its sanctions blacklist in response to US restrictions imposed on Moscow over allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016 US presidential election.
“We have ensured parity in the number of individuals included in the sanctions lists from the very beginning. So we will replenish our ‘blacklist’ with another group of US individuals,” Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told Sputnik, shortly after the US announced new sanctions against Moscow.
“We’re only doing this because of US political stubbornness and unwillingness to perceive reality,” he said.
On Thursday, the US Treasury announced that it had imposed sanctions on Russia’s intelligence agencies and more than a dozen individuals over their alleged interference in the US presidential election and other “malicious cyber attacks.”
Ryabkov said Russia may take even further countermeasures but emphasized that dialog had to continue between Moscow and Washington.
“We may take additional steps, which we will calibrate in accordance with our own interests and, of course, the need to not suspend dialog completely in order to at least begin stabilizing bilateral relations with Washington,” he said.
“We reaffirm that our resolve will not be weakened by any opponents’ intrigues, many of whom are beyond the Atlantic Ocean,” the Russian deputy foreign minister said.
Since the presidential election in the US in November 2016, the US has been accusing Russia of having attempted to influence it in favor of Republican Donald Trump, who proceeded to win the election by electoral votes.
Moscow has denied the allegation. Recently, Ryabkov said Washington was seeking to meddle in the Russian presidential election, due in March.
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