MOSCOW, March 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Kremlin said Western
sanctions on Russia were “absolutely unacceptable” and dismissed as
“outrageous” claims that the country’s security agency was behind the
poisoning of opposition figure Alexei Navalny.
“We believe such measures are absolutely unacceptable because they
significantly damage already bad relations,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists after the United States and the European Union slapped fresh sanctions on Moscow.
He added that it was “outrageous” to claim that a “poisoning took place and
the Federal Security Service (FSB) was behind” it.
The US and the European Union on Tuesday announced sanctions and restrictions against Russian individuals and entities over the case of opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
Seven senior Russian officials and 15 entities are on the US sanction list, although Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov earlier warned that Moscow would respond in kind to any new US sanctions.
The EU decided to freeze the European assets and ban the entry of four Russian officials, Prosecutor General Igor Krasnov, head of the National Guard Viktor Zolotov, chairman of Russian investigation committee Alexander Bastrykin, and chief of the federal prison service Alexander Kalashnikov.
The decision of EU foreign ministers also prohibits European individuals and firms from making funds available to the listed officials.
The Russian Foreign Ministry has warned that the country will retaliate based on the principle of reciprocity and continue to resolutely defend its national interests.
The ministry asked the US to honor its obligations and destroy chemical weapons, which Russia does not have since 2017.
The US has been deprived of the moral right to lecture others since it is a serial violator of international treaties and agreements in the field of arms control and non-proliferation, it said.
On Wednesday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry also answered a question about the sanctions at its regular press conference. Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson from the ministry, reiterated China’s stance, saying the case is entirely Russia’s internal affairs. — NNN-AGENCIES