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Anti-Russian sanctions

Anti-Russian sanctions remain important element of US election campaign - diplomat

"The elections are yet to take place, but the sanctions have already been prepared," Maria Zakharova said

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova Valery Sharifulin/TASS

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova

© Valery Sharifulin/TASS

MOSCOW, August 22. /TASS/. Anti-Russian sanctions are an important element of the US electoral campaign, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Tuesday.

Zakharova’s brief comment, posted on her Facebook page, came in response to US Assistant Secretary of State for International Security and Non-Proliferation Christopher Ford’s announcement that Washington was ready to impose new sanctions on Russia for its interference into the November 2018 elections to the US Congress.

"The elections are yet to take place, but the sanctions have already been prepared. Why? Because it is an important factor of the electoral campaign in the United States," Zakharova said.

Christopher Krebs, undersecretary for the Department of Homeland Security's national protection and programs directorate, earlier told the US Senate that "the 2018 midterm elections remain a potential target for Russian cyber and influence operations."

US special services accuse Russia of interfering into the 2016 US presidential election. US President Donald Trump and officials from his administration have strongly denied any kind of unlawful contacts with Russian officials during the electoral campaign. Moscow has also denied the allegations on many occasions.

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