Putin Comments on New US Senate's Sanctions against Russia
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - It is too early to speak about Russia's response to the new possible US sanctions, because, first of all, it is necessary to look how the new restrictions will be implemented, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
On Wednesday, the US Senate voted in favor of new sanctions against Russia over its alleged interference in the US presidential election in 2016, the allegation which Moscow strongly denies.
The new sanctions include additional punitive measures against Russia’s defense, intelligence, mining, shipping and railway industries and restrict dealings with the country's banks and energy companies, Sputnik reported.
"We should look how it will happen, that is why, it is too early to speak about our reciprocal measures," Putin said in an interview with the Rossiya 1 TV channel aired on Saturday.
Moscow will wait and see how new US sanctions targeting Russia would look like if introduced but they are counterproductive for the bilateral ties, Putin said.
"Whatever is going on, it certainly needs to be looked at what it will turn out to be in the end. But whatever it is and whatever decisions would be taken overseas, this will not catch us cornered."
The president noted that "something, probably, we will have to adjust, something we will have to do additionally, something to pay extra attention to… It will, of course, complicate the Russian-US relations; I think that it is harmful."
Russian officials, including Putin, have repeatedly said that Russia didn't interfere in the US presidential election, calling the accusations groundless and a result of the internal struggle in DC.
