Russia Says Has Right to Respond to US Bans

Russia has blasted the US for extending sanctions against Moscow over its alleged role in the Ukraine crisis, saying the Kremlin is entitled to respond.

In a statement released on Thursday, the Russian Foreign Ministry described the US bans as futile, noting that prolonging the embargoes undermines the possibility of Moscow-Washington cooperation on key international issues.

 “It’s time for Washington to realize that its sanctions policies have no prospects and that the entire course of confrontation with Russia is dangerous. We, for our part, reserve the right to take measures that we believe are in line with Russian interests in response,” the statement read.

It is disappointing that the US continues to “enthusiastically play sanctions against Russia” while the policy is not helping settle the conflict in eastern Ukraine and has a “destructive effect” on Moscow-Washington ties, it added.

 “A lot of things in global affairs depend on the atmosphere of dialogue between our countries. … the US should take into account the fact that by doing so (extending sanctions) they sabotage the possibilities of interaction on key international issues, which they regularly ask us to help resolve,” according to the statement.

On Wednesday, the White House announced that anti-Russia measures, which were imposed in 2014, would be extended. The bans target senior Russian officials, pro-Russian figures in Ukraine and some Russian companies and banks.

Relations between Russia and the West specially strained after Crimea declared independence from Ukraine on March 17, 2014 and formally applied to become part of Russia following a referendum a day earlier.

The United States and its European allies accuse Moscow of destabilizing Ukraine. Moscow, however, rejects having a hand in the crisis gripping the Eastern European state.

The Kremlin has slapped restrictions on some food imports from the US, the EU, Norway, Australia and Canada in a tit-for-tat move.

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