‘Quit playing stupid sanctions games’: Moscow blasts new round of US sanctions, vows to respond

The latest US sanctions against Russia over alleged 2016 election meddling has triggered an angry response in Moscow, which dismissed them as a reflection of a political crisis in Washington.

A fresh batch of restrictions was unveiled Monday by the US Treasury Department, which invoked President Donald Trump’s executive order about election interference for the first time. Russian nationals Denis Kuzmin and Igor Nesterov were targeted over “links” to the Internet Research Agency – alleged to be the notorious “troll farm” used for meddling.

Apart from that, the restrictions were imposed on three companies registered in the Seychelles, as well as three aircraft owned by the said businesses and a “pleasure vessel” registered in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry did not mince words when firing back.

“What made Washington bureaucrats put them all on the same list, what relation the planes and boats have – as it’s asserted – to the interference into the American election, remains unclear,” the ministry said in a statement.

The diplomats also noted that the US sanctions have targeted certain individuals twice and thrice already, alleging that “the authors of sanctions either lack imagination or they get confused with their multiple lists.”

The never-ending sanctions campaign against Moscow is a sign of the deep political crisis in the US, the ministry stated, as “a part of Washington establishment” uses the anti-Russian trope to reach its “opportunistic goals.” While Moscow calls on the US to quit playing “sanctions games” altogether and engage in meaningful dialogue, it is ready to retaliate.

“As before, the anti-Russian attack will not remain unanswered. At the same time, we urge American politicians to quit playing stupid sanctions games, that yield zero result, and return to a common sense-based position,” the ministry added.

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