Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, warned "colleagues" regarding U.S.-European sanctions, stating, "We urge colleagues not to play with fire."
In a statement today, Zakharova described the joint U.S.-European sanctions as "an attack on Russia" and "a victory for absurdity." She further noted that the White House, embroiled in its internal issues, is attempting to establish an image of an external enemy. Zakharova remarked that this illogical and meaningless U.S. policy has been repeatedly criticized, contributing to the substantial deterioration of bilateral relations, which she claimed has resulted in a complete freezing of ties.
Zakharova pointed out that absurdity triumphs when the imposition of sanctions is justified by a supposed provocation linked to the alleged poisoning of opposition leader Alexei Navalny with some form of chemical warfare agent, labeling this a mere pretext for continued interference in Russia's internal affairs. She continued, "We will respond based on the principle of reciprocity, which does not necessarily mean in an identical manner."
The spokesperson emphasized that "the U.S. administration does not recognize that times have changed, and attempts to dictate modern geopolitical realities have counterproductive consequences for those who cannot reject them." She insisted that rather than being dragged into another round of confrontation, the U.S. should faithfully fulfill its commitments, such as the destruction of chemical weapons, which Russia has not possessed since 2017.
She stressed that "imposing anything on Russia through sanctions or other pressures has failed in the past, and it is failing now. If the U.S. is not prepared for an equal dialogue based on reason, that is their choice."
The American administration approved a package of sanctions targeting Russian institutions and officials deemed connected to the case of opposition leader Alexei Navalny. A senior official in President Joe Biden's administration stated in a phone briefing with journalists that the U.S. has decided to impose sanctions on seven high-ranking government officials in Russia and tighten export restrictions to Russia, alongside blacklisting 14 entities.
The official explained that these sanctions are part of the U.S.'s strong response to the poisoning and imprisonment of opposition leader Alexei Navalny. The Department of the Treasury is imposing sanctions on seven senior Russian officials, complementing measures from the Department of State and the Department of Commerce. The U.S. official revealed that a list of 14 entities subject to the most stringent export restrictions would be published today in the federal register, comprising 9 Russian entities, 3 from Germany, and one from Switzerland, with the latter being a government research institute in Russia, indicating that all are involved in activities contrary to U.S. national security and foreign policy interests.
The U.S. official highlighted that the sanctions against Russian entities and individuals had been coordinated with the European Union in response to the Navalny case. Furthermore, the official emphasized that U.S. policies toward Russia will differ from those of the previous U.S. administration. Intelligence assessments concluded that Russian authorities were behind Navalny's poisoning with a nerve agent. The announcement of U.S. sanctions came just minutes after the European Union took similar action, announcing sanctions targeting 4 senior officials in Russian law enforcement agencies.
