MOSCOW, April 28. /TASS/. New counter-sanctions should include the right to impose individual sanctions against legal entities and individuals from the United States, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said in an interview with the program "Vesti v Subboty (Saturday News) with Sergey Brilev.
"In my opinion, this bill must certainly contain rules that, on behalf of the president, or the president himself or the government receives the right to impose individual sanctions against any legal entities and individuals - residents of the United States," he said.
Moscow’s response to new sanctions imposed by the United States may be symmetric or asymmetrical, but it should be painful, he said.
"The response should be either symmetric or asymmetrical, but it should be fairly painful," he said.
Administrative or criminal liability should be introduced in Russia for executing US sanctions, the PM said.
"All these sanctions are directed against the interests of our country. They are ultimately aimed at destroying our social and political system and hurting both the economy and individuals. If this is true, executing these sanctions should be an offense for citizens of our country," he said.
Lifting of Moscow’s countersanctions is impossible as long as anti-Russia restrictions are in place, he said.
Asked whether countersanctions that were imposed in response to sanctions against Russia, will remain in place he said: "Yes, beyond a shadow of doubt." "Of course, they will remain, because not long ago our European Union partners and Americans extended the decisions made earlier," the PM said.
When commenting on the assumption that certain countries are hinting at their willingness to lift restrictions if Moscow is the first to remove countersanctions, Medvedev said: "No, it is impossible."
"It is impossible to do, because it needs reciprocity, of course. Say nothing of our farmers greeting with applause sanctions related to closure of certain food flows from Europe," Prime Minister noted.