New Possible US Sanctions against Russia Completely Illegitimate, a Declaration of Economic War

MOSCOW- Russian President Vladimir Putin and the permanent members of the national Security Council have discussed new possible US sanctions against Moscow, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

According to him, “there was a discussion of new unfriendly steps on the part of Washington, which may take the form of trade restrictions.” The meeting’s participants “emphasized the complete illegitimacy of such actions from the standpoint of international law,” Peskov added, according to Itar Tass.

 The meeting also “discussed routine issues concerning the country’s social and economic development.”

On Wednesday, the US Department of State said in a statement that Washington was imposing new sanctions on Moscow over its alleged involvement in the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal in the British city of Salisbury. The first round of sanctions will take effect on August 22, while a second round may be introduced in 90 days in case Russia fails to meet certain conditions, the State Department said. Moscow has on numerous occasions rejected all the allegations about its involvement in the Salisbury incident.

Medvedev: New US sanctions declaration of economic war

On his part, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said during his visit to the Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula, that the possible tightening up of economic sanctions against Russia may be treated as a declaration of economic war, which must be responded by all economic, political and other means possible.

During his visit to the Kronotsky State Nature Reserve, Medvedev was asked what sanctions could be imposed on Russia in the future and how they can affect the country’s economy.

“I would like not to comment on the talks about future sanctions, but there is one thing I can say: if measures like a ban on banking activities or the use of this or that currency follows, this can be clearly be described as a declaration of an economic war. And this war will have to be responded – by economic, political and, if necessary, other means. And our American partners should realize this,” the prime minister said.

Speaking about sanctions currently in place and those recently announced, Medvedev said that despite the declared political reasons behind them, those measures are intended mostly “to limit our economic power.”

H.M