MOSCOW (AP) – Russia’s prime minister sternly warned the United States against ramping up sanctions, saying Friday that Moscow would retaliate with economic, political and unspecified “other” means.
The tough message from Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev marked what the Kremlin sees as a red line, reflecting growing dismay with announced U.S. sanctions that have sent the Russian ruble plummeting to its lowest level in two years.
The U.S. State Department said Wednesday that Washington would impose new sanctions this month after determining this week that Moscow used a military grade nerve agent in March to poison an ex-Russian spy in England. Russia has strongly denied involvement in the poisonings of Sergei Skripal and his adult daughter.
According to the State Department, the sanctions will include the presumed denial of export licenses for Russia to purchase many items with national security implications.
New sanctions proposals in the U.S. Congress include legislation targeting Russia’s state-controlled banks and freezing their operations in dollars – a move that would deal a heavy blow to the Russian economy.