The U.S. Treasury Department released a new wave of anti-Russia sanctions on Friday targeting 24 individuals and 14 entities linked to the Kremlin, in response to "malign" Russian actions that include alleged election meddling in the 2016 presidential election.
The action froze the U.S. assets of oligarchs and government officials, such as aluminum tycoon Oleg Deripaska and lawmaker Suleiman Kerimov, as well as state-linked companies.
This is how Russia reacted to the news:
— General Vladimir Dzhabarov, deputy head of the Federation Council’s International Affairs Committee:
“This is complete lawlessness and impotence, insanity, that we’re seeing from the side of the Americans, [it's] because all of their projects on the international arena are failing, one after the other.”
— Konstantin Kosachev, the head of the Federation Council’s International Affairs Committee
“This is a path to nowhere. You can’t intimidate Russia with this, let alone break it.”
— Alexei Navalny, Russian opposition politician
“I look at the new list of Russian officials and oligarchs put under U.S. sanctions. I remember how they drank champagne for Trump’s victory in the election. I laugh.”
— Alexander Shokhin, head of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs
“It looks like the Americans will be using terrorist methods […] In other words, they will ‘kill hostages.’ They’re going to select people from the Kremlin list as ‘hostages,’ so that the others see that the same will happen to them if they don’t behave correctly.”
— Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport
“All the loud statements and accusations are just a pretext to squeeze Russia out of the international arms market. [It’s] flagrant and pragmatic. This is unfair competition in its purest form.”
— Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov
“As for Russian companies under sanctions, we will support them even more.”
“We will not accept [banks and consumers avoiding working with sanctioned companies], we will severely punish this.”
— Dmitry Gudkov, Russian opposition politician
“The new U.S. sanctions are very painful for specific people in Putin’s inner circle. Though we don’t really have anything to be happy about, we’re all they’re hostages. (the GAZ carmaker, for example, was hit by the sanctions”
— Pyotr Tolstoy, State Duma vice speaker
“U.S. attempts to dictate its will on our country and talk about [Russia's] need to pay for independent and sovereign policy decisions are doomed to a political and diplomatic fiasco.”
— Vladimir Milov, Russian opposition politician
"Abramovich and Usmanov are not [on the list] for example."
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
