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Russia to give severe response to US bid to expand Magnitsky list

“We explained that ‘the blacklists war’ unleashed by Washington reached the deadlock" Russia's Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said
Photo ITAR-TASS
Photo ITAR-TASS

MOSCOW, July 12 (Itar-Tass) - Russia will give a severe response if the U.S. expands the Magnitsky list, Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said on Friday.

“We riveted attention to the statements at the debates in the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs to appoint Victoria Nuland as assistant secretary of state and Daniel Baer as ambassador to the OSCE. According to coming reports, both candidates said Washington intended to expand the so-called Magnitsky list, which includes Russian citizens whom are imposed visa and banking sanctions on,” Lukashevich said.

“We explained that ‘the blacklists war’ unleashed by Washington reached the deadlock. Such way is fraught with useless confrontation between Russia and the United States. If the U.S. Administration really goes on a leash of rabid Russophobes like as Senators John McCain and Benjamin Cardin and continues moving towards this direction, the only way for us is to give a severe response,” the Russian diplomat stressed.

“Moreover, there are more than enough candidates to be included in our Guantanamo list, including due to the latest mass violations of telephone and correspondence privacy by American special services, as well as the encroachment upon the rights of Russian citizens,” he said.

Russia urged the U.S. Administration “to act in a sensible way and not take measures to impair bilateral relations”, Lukashevich added.