Kremlin condemns hostility as Trump heads toward new Russia sanctions
'These are echoes of unfriendly signs'
(Web Desk) - The Russian government accused the U.S. of displaying “hostility” on Friday as the Trump administration took the first step towards imposing new sanctions for Russia’s interference in the 2016 US election.
In early August, Trump signed into law, a measure which would target individuals and firms with links to Russian defence and intelligence agencies.
Under the law, companies that “knowingly engage in a significant transaction” with people or firms on the list could be subject to U.S. sanctions after Jan. 28.
The law gave the administration until Oct. 1 to produce a list, and the administration has been under mounting pressure from Congress after missing that deadline. Late Thursday, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson authorized officials to release the list to key members of Congress.
On Friday, Dimitry Peskov, the spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, told reporters on a conference call that the new sanctions had “echoes of hostility” in them. “These are echoes of unfriendly signs, to be precise, even hostility against our country,” Peskov said.
The exchange provided further evidence of the deteriorated state of relations between Russia and the U.S. Despite initial celebrations in Russian political circles after President Trump’s election, the Kremlin has been disappointed by the lack of improvement in Moscow-Washington relations.
Peskov pointed the finger at Washington for not doing its part, saying that while Russia was ready for better ties, Washington seemed “not steady.” “However, we will be patient and continue to be committed to a constructive approach,” he added.
The sanctions list, which has not been made public, covers more than two dozen Russian defense industry companies, including the Kalashnikov Group, the maker of the AK-47 automatic rifle.
Igor Pshenichnikov, an expert at the Russian Institute for Strategic Studies, told the Russian news agency TASS that the inclusion of so many defense industry companies indicated that the U.S. was “making every possible effort to take over the global arms market.”
Implementing the new sanctions could present complicated issues. Turkey, a NATO ally, plans to buy an anti-aircraft defense system from Russia. Saudi Arabia has been negotiating a similar purchase. Such purchases could potentially put both countries at risk of violating the new rules.
