Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Maria Zakharova called on the United States not to play with fire after the introduction of new anti-Russian sanctions. Her statement is posted on the agency's website.
According to her, Washington and Brussels have launched a hostile attack on Moscow, announcing the next sanctions measures to “punish Moscow.” Zakharova drew attention to the fact that the White House cultivates the image of an external enemy, as it is entangled in internal problems. American policy is devoid of logic and sense, emphasized the official representative of the department.
She pointed out that bilateral relations have been brought by Washington to the point of complete freezing. “It is probably difficult for colleagues in the United States to understand the illusory claims to their own exclusivity and come to terms with it. Calculations to impose something on Russia by means of sanctions or other pressure have failed in the past, and they fail now. If the United States is not ready for an equal dialogue on a reasonable basis, this is their choice, ”Zakharova noted.
The Foreign Ministry spokesman explained that the reason for the imposition of sanctions was a deliberately arranged provocation with the “poisoning” of Alexei Navalny (founder of the Anti-Corruption Fund, included by the Ministry of Justice in the register of organizations performing the functions of a foreign agent) “with some kind of chemical warfare.” “All this is just a pretext for continuing open interference in our internal affairs,” Zakharova said.
She assured that Moscow will continue to consistently and resolutely defend national interests and rebuff any aggression. The Russian side does not intend to put up with this state of affairs and will prepare a reaction based on the principle of reciprocity, not necessarily symmetrical, the representative of the department concluded.
Earlier, the United States published a list of Russians who have come under sanctions due to the situation with Navalny. Among them are FSB Director Alexander Bortnikov, Prosecutor General Igor Krasnov, FSIN head Alexander Kalashnikov, Deputy Defense Minister Pavel Popov, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexei Krivoruchko, head of the Kremlin's internal policy department Andrei Yarin and others. In addition to them, the 27th Scientific Center of the Ministry of Defense, the 33rd Central Scientific Research Institute of the Ministry of Defense and the Scientific Research Institute of Organic Chemistry and Technology (GosNIIOKhT) fell under the sanctions.
