Russia warns US of sanctions ‘war’

RUSSIA has warned the US it would respond to an effective declaration of ‘economic war’ if it imposed financial sanctions.

America announced a first round of sanctions earlier this week over the novichok poisonings in Salisbury, which will come into effect in two weeks.

It threatened to bring in a second round affecting bank loans to Russia and banning all exports to the country.

Russian prime minister Dmitry Medvedev said yesterday: ‘If we end up with something like a ban on banking activities or the use of certain currencies, we can clearly call this a declaration of economic war. And we must absolutely respond to this war – by economic means, by political means and if necessary by other means.

‘Our American friends must understand this.’

The sanctions led to a fall in Russian stocks and the value of the rouble on Thursday. It comes five months after former spy Sergei Skripal, 67, and his daughter Yulia, 33, were left in a critical condition by the poisoning in Salisbury in March.

Last month Dawn Sturgess, 44, died after coming into contact with the same nerve agent near the Wiltshire city.

Her partner Charlie Rowley, 45, was left critically ill but survived.

The first set of sanctions bans the export to Russia of American technologies that are ‘national security sensitive’. A senior US official said the move could cut off hundreds of millions of dollars worth of exports to Russia.

A second, stronger round that could go into effect 90 days later would include blocking all American bank loans to Russian entities, an outright ban on US exports to Russia and suspension of diplomatic relations.