MOSCOW, March 3 /TASS/. Russia has reserved the right to retaliate with counter-measures to the US extending of anti-Russian sanctions, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.
"It is regretful that the United States continues to be absorbed with a game called sanctions against Russia in a bid to shift its responsibility for a state coup in Ukraine that took place two years ago and also for the bad consequences of rule by their Kiev clients," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
"It is clear that this practice does not contribute to the Ukraine crisis settlement, which is muddling through because of Kiev’s unwillingness to fulfil the Minsk agreements, but is ruinous for the Russian-American relations," the ministry went on to say.
"It is time for Washington to realize that its policy of sanctions and dangerous course towards confrontation with Russia is futureless. For our part, we are retaining the right to counter measures, which we will consider to be meeting the Russian interests," the ministry said adding that the atmosphere of a dialogue between Russia and the United States determined a lot in world affairs and in questions of global and regional security.
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"When methodically unswaying the carcass of bilateral relations, the United States should be aware that it is undermining a possibility of interaction on key international problems despite the fact that it constantly seeks our assistance in their solution," the Russian Foreign Ministry went on to say.
US President Barack Obama extended sanctions imposed on Russia over the events in Ukraine for another year on March 2. The US president has issued 2 decrees on Russia on March 16 and 20, 2014 (13661 and 13662). The third decree came out on December 19 (13685) the same year. All of them were devoted to Crimea. The US sanctions have affected a whole number of Russian citizens, including officials, and officials from the government of Ukraine’s former President Viktor Yanukovych. The sanctions were also applied to a number of leading Russian businessmen; several companies and the leaderships of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR) in eastern Ukraine.