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Kremlin brands US sanctions bill against Russian energy projects as ‘racketeering’

According to Putin's spokesman, "there is a pragmatic trading approach" behind such proposals

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov Mikhail Metzel/TASS

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov

© Mikhail Metzel/TASS

SOCHI, February 14. /TASS/. Efforts by US lawmakers to impose sanctions on Russian energy projects and banks border on racketeering, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said commenting on the new bill in the US Congress on sanctions against Russia.

According to him, behind such proposals "there is an absolutely concrete, pragmatic and aggressive trading approach, having nothing to do with international trade rules."

Read also

Sanctions harm US in the long run, says Russian Direct Investment Fund chief

"This policy sometimes borders on racketeering. I mean various provisions of the draft law aimed at disrupting various energy projects of Russian companies, undermining the activities of Russian banks with state participation," Peskov stressed.

The Russian government has already taken measures to protect the country against various "racketeering attacks" of the United States, the Kremlin spokesman assured.

"The government has already developed and adopted a number of effective measures to hedge against such possible racketeering attacks," he said responding to the question about the impact of possible new US sanctions for the Russian economy.

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