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PM Medvedev: US declared full-fledged trade war on Russia by tightening sanctions

New US sanctions mean death of all hopes to improve relations with Trump, the Russian prime minister said

MOSCOW, August 2. /TASS/. The US has actually declared trade war on Russia by tightening sanctions against it, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said in a Facebook post. He is confident that these measures will have no sense and that Russia, nevertheless, will be able to develop.

"A full-fledged trade war has been declared on Russia," he noted.

"We will quietly continue our work to develop economy and the social sphere and will be engaged in import substitution, as well as address most important state tasks, counting upon ourselves, first of all," the prime minister stated. "We have learnt to do it in the recent years in the conditions of almost closed financial markets, fear of foreign creditors and investors to bankroll in Russia on pain of sanctions against third parties and countries," he added. "It benefitted us in some way, though sanctions are senseless as a whole," Medvedev stated. "We’ll pull through," the prime minister affirmed.

Tightening sanctions against Russia has cast a long shadow on hopes to improve relations with the Donald Trump administration, according to Medvedev.

"It is the death of hopes to improve our relations with the new American administration," he wrote.

"The sanction regime is codified and will be preserved for decades, unless a miracle happens, and it will be tougher than the Jackson-Vanik law, as it has a pervasive character and cannot be delayed by special presidential orders without the congress’ consent," the prime minister noted. "Thus, relations between Russia and the US will be extremely tense despite the composition of the congress or the president’s personality," Medvedev stressed. "Lengthy falling-out in international bodies and courts, further aggravation of international tension and rejection to tackle most important international issues lie ahead," he forecasted.