Moscow-Sana
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stressed that her country's response to the US sanctions would be "severe and appropriate", indicating that US pressure on Russia over the allegations of the case of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was "useless".
A statement by Zakharova, published on the ministry's website, commenting on Washington's imposition of new sanctions against Moscow against the backdrop of Western allegations against Russia of Navalny's poisoning, said, "Washington refuses to accept reality, and it knows that putting pressure on Russia is useless...and our response will be harsh and appropriate as usual." That these pressures are "miserable and hopeless".
Zakharova added, "In these difficult times, which require countries to expand cooperation and coordination between them on the international scene, official Washington imposes new sanctions against Russia under artificial pretexts," noting that there is talk again of "a provocation made by Western intelligence about the fictitious poisoning of Navalny."
The US Treasury and State Departments imposed sanctions against nine citizens and two entities in Russia over the case of Navalny, who Western countries claim was subjected to an attempted poisoning last August.