Russia slams sanctions, mulls response

WASHINGTON — Russia has blasted new US sanctions for an alleged poison attack on a former Russian spy, saying Moscow will “withstand” and respond to Washington’s “brute pressure”.

In a statement posted on its Facebook page, the Russian embassy to the United States said the sanctions, which took effect on Monday, were “hostile”, “illegitimate” and “one-sided”.

“Decisions are made with zero attempts to look into things, while ignoring our calls for dialogue, in absence of any real proof of ‘Russia’s guilt’,” it said, accusing the US mainstream media of spreading “absurd accusations against our country”.

“It is clear that the worst Cold War scenarios, the ones the world should have forsaken 30 years ago, are now taking shape. Instead, it turns out that no one is safe from brute pressure of Washington,” the embassy said, adding that “the US public has to know that sanctions against Russia are futile. They meet the interests of neither Russian nor American people”.

“Not everyone can withstand it. But Russia can,” it added.

The Kremlin was quoted by media as saying that it needed time to assess the impact of the sanctions before considering a retaliatory response, but President Vladimir Putin would act in line with Russia’s national interest.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned that Moscow will take reciprocal measures, in an interview to a Slovak newspaper published on Tuesday.

“We will continue to act calmly and pragmatically, reacting to all attacks in accordance with the principle of reciprocity,” Lavrov said.

“At the same time we remain open to building normal mutually respectful relations with Washington based on a genuine consideration of each other’s interests.”

On Monday, the US Federal Register said in a notice that US sanctions came into effect on the same day.

The US State Department said it had determined that “the Government of the Russian Federation has used chemical weapons in violation of international law or lethal chemical weapons against its own nationals”, it said.

That was in reference to the reported poisoning of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal, aged 66, and his daughter Yulia, who were found unconscious on a bench outside a shopping center in Britain’s southwestern city of Salisbury on March 4. Britain claimed the pair were exposed to a nerve agent and holds Russia responsible. The Russian government has denied any involvement.

The US State Department said on Aug 8 that it would impose new sanctions on Russia over the case.

It is clear that the worst Cold War scenarios ... are now taking shape.”

Russian US embassy