MOSCOW, February 2. /TASS/. Speaker of Russia’s Federation Council (upper house of parliament) Valentina Matviyenko has said there is no need to blow the issue of the so-called "Kremlin List" and possible subsequent US sanctions out of proportion.
"We should not dramatize the situation," she told the Vesti FM radio on Friday . "We pay too much attention to these lists, to discussing these lists and their effects. We must understand that all that is inevitable, that the situation will not change within the next two years and that tensions will be whipped up, because the United States’ interests is the most important thing, while other countries' [interests] do not matter."
She stressed that relations should be built taking into account all countries’ interests, while the US policies have remained unchanged so far. "Measures have been hammered out recently to minimize the consequences of these sanctions and pressure on Russia. We will continue to do so in the future to protect our economy, our companies and private businesses," Matviyenko said.
She also noted that the US is not just exerting substantial pressure on Russia, which is extraterritorial. "Attempts are being made to intimidate other countries. However, there is a growing awareness in the world that this is directed against their economies as well. I am sure that such discontent will gain a critical mass," the speaker stressed.
According to Matviyenko, dialogue between countries is necessary, since this is in the best interests of both the United States and Russia and the entire world.