Putin says US sanctions ‘counterproductive and senseless’
SOCHI, Russia: Russian President Vladimir Putin called US sanctions against Moscow “counterproductive and senseless” after Washington warned that more “economic pain” was to come.
The latest raft of punitive measures did, however, lead to a dip in the ruble which came dangerously close to its lowest levels in two years against the dollar and the euro.
“Sanctions are actions that are counterproductive and senseless, especially against a country like Russia,” Putin said during a press conference with his Finnish counterpart Sauli Niinisto in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi.
“I hope our American colleagues will realise that such a policy has no future and that we will start cooperating normally,” he added.
Putin said the “problem” came not just from US President Donald Trump, but from what he called “the establishment”.
His remarks came after senior US Treasury official Sigal Mandelker said Tuesday that Wash- ington can inflict “much more economic pain... and will not hesitate to do so” if Moscow does not cease what she called “malign activity”.
The US government has sanctioned Russian entities over the past several years for meddling in Ukraine, attempting to influence US elections and violating United Nations sanctions on North Korea.
Made public in early August and put into effect on Wednesday, the latest US sanctions are related to the Novichok poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal in Britain.
Russian officials maintain that the country’s economy has not felt any major impact from the punitive measures.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Riabkov told RIA Novosti the US sanctions “have no influence on our policy,” adding that they will be on the agenda Thursday in Geneva in talks between US national security advisor John Bolton and his Russian counterpart Nikolai Patrushev.
Trump and Putin met in Helsinki in July, their first bilateral meeting, after which the US president was highly criticised at home for being very conciliatory with his Russian counterpart.
Despite a lack of tangible improvement in relations, which are at their lowest ebb since the end of the Cold War, Putin reiterated that the meeting was “useful”.
“I believe it was useful. Nobody counted on resolving all the disputed issues in the course of a twohour conversation,” Putin said. — AFP